Further analysis is currently ongoing to see if this isolated case is Clade I, another sub-strain of Clade II, or a new clade altogether.
If it is the more dangerous Clade I then it will mark a momentum shift for the outbreak, just as data suggest the UK was on the verge of extinguishing the outbreak.
Current guidance states that if a case of monkeypox is known to be imported from West Africa, a region where monkeypox has been endemic for decades, then the individual must be admitted to an HCID hospital unit for monitoring.
As a result, the individual was admitted to the HCID ward at the Royal Liverpool.
Although the case was escalated to being a HCID due to pre-existing rules, it allowed for the genetic screening of the case.
Dr Sophia Maki, incident director at the UKHSA, said: “We are working to contact the individuals who have had close contact with the case prior to confirmation of their infection, to assess them as necessary and provide advice.
“UKHSA and the NHS have well established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be strictly followed and the risk to the general public is very low.
“We remind everyone who is planning to travel to West and Central Africa to be alert for the symptoms of monkeypox and to call 111 if you have symptoms on your return.”