The Public Health Agency has reported 21 cases of mpox in Northern Ireland over the past three weeks, a notable rise from just nine cases since the beginning of 2023. The majority of current cases are among men who have sex with men, and the agency is urging eligible individuals to get vaccinated through local sexual health clinics.
This increase coincides with a broader rise in mpox cases across Europe and the UK. The recent cases are attributed to a different strain, clade Ib, marking the first detection of this variant in Northern Ireland.