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Scientists have warned that the discovery of a new strain of the mpox virus is 'precisely what experts in the field feared would happen'. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the new 'hybrid' strain was identified in an individual who had recently travelled to Asia.

Officials at the UKHSA said the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been updated on the finding after tests showed the virus is a 'recombinant' strain , meaning it contains genetic material from two different mpox clades that are currently circulating globally.

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral infection caused by a virus that belongs to the same family as smallpox. The infection is most commonly found in parts of central and east Africa, but a global outbreak in 2022 caused cases to spi

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