New strain of mpox virus: What you need to know
Matthew Ward Agius
12/09/2025
Health authorities in the United Kingdom confirmed on December 8, 2025, that they had detected a so-called "recombinant" version of the mpox virus in a male patient.
A virus becomes a recombinant virus when two existing versions of it recombine — by mixing their genetic information — to form a new, hybrid version. This can happen when different types of a virus infect a person at the same time.
The UK's national health security agency, UKHSA, said the recombinant mpox virus was detected in a man who had recently returned to the UK from Asia.
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