Six cases have been reported in Ireland so far this year.
There were 13 cases of mpox confirmed in Ireland last year and 227 cases in 2022.
The cases seen thsi year in Ireland have been caused by clade II mpox, the type that caused the global outbreak in 2022.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) said the type of mpox that is at the centre of concern in Africa is caused by a different clade: clade I, divided into two subgroups (clade Ia and clade Ib).
No cases of clade Ia or Ib mpox have been detected in Ireland.
The first vaccine against mpox has been added to the prequalification list of the WHO to assess its quality, safety and efficacy.
The prequalification approval is expected to help with timely and increased access to the vaccine in communities with urgent need, to reduce transmission and help contain the outbreak.
The manufacturer is Bavarian Nordic and it was reviewed by the European Medicines Agency, the regulatory agency of record for the two-dose vaccine.
In mid-August, the WHO declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern following a big rise in the number of cases identified in Africa.
A risk assessment was published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in mid-August and one case of clade Ib mpox has been reported in Sweden.
“The overall risk for the EU/EEA general population is currently assessed as low, though the risk for people who have close contact with a confirmed or suspected case from affected areas in Africa is moderate,” the HPSC said.
Mpox spreads through close contact, including contact with the skin rash of someone with the virus.
People who closely interact with someone who is infectious are at greater risk of infection. This includes sexual partners, household members and health and care workers. The risk of spread within the community in general is very low.
Ireland’s mpox vaccination programme has been paused since last December. Over 11,000 doses of vaccine were delivered from 2022, with more than 5,000 people fully vaccinated, which was among the best-performing mpox vaccine programmes in Europe.