A new strain of the virus has been identified in England (Image: Getty Images)

Scientists have issued a stark warning that the identification of a novel mpox virus strain represents 'precisely what experts in the field feared would happen'. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed that this fresh 'hybrid' strain was detected in a person who had recently returned from travel to Asia.

UKHSA officials revealed that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been briefed on the discovery following laboratory analysis which demonstrated the virus to be a 'recombinant' strain, indicating it harbours genetic components from two distinct mpox clades presently in circulation worldwide.

Mpox, formerly referred to as monkeypox, represents a viral infection stemming from a pathogen within

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