One year after the peak of UK infections, can we determine what actions brought mpox cases down?

A year ago, mpox – the virus formally known as monkeypox – was spreading in the UK. These infections largely impacted the gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men community, with news cases peaking at 350 per week. One of these individuals was Martin Joseph, who tells James Gallagher how a lack of accessible information and the stigma he observed during his illness inspired him to create a mpox-based podcast so others wouldn’t feel so alone.

Thankfully, 2023 so far has told a different story for mpox. Infections in the UK have remained relatively low, and in May, the World Health Organisation declared the mpox global health emergency over. But what helped bring the UK outbreak under control? James is joined by Jake Dunning, infectious diseases doctor and researcher at the University of Oxford, and Claire Dewsnap, sexual health doctor and president of the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), to discuss potential factors, takeaways and whether we are really ‘done’ with mpox.

How often should we go to the dentist? Listener Mary emailed [email protected] to query the time needed between check-ups. James hears the evidence from Janet Clarkson, professor of dentistry at the University of Dundee, who explains the unlikely origins of our bi-annual appointments!

Presenter: James Gallagher

(Photo: Monkeypox Credit: Uma Shankar sharma | Getty Images)