People with monkeypox symptoms told to stay at home

PEOPLE with monkeypox symptoms are being ordered to isolate at home, amid a near-doubling in cases in the UK.

The guidance from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has been issued in an effort to stem transmission in the community.

Until now, those with suspected or confirmed cases of the infectious disease have been urged to call 111 or seek advice from a GP.

But yesterday health officials issued new advice, as an extra 71 cases were identified in England, taking the total number of cases in the UK to 179.

People who have “possible, probable or confirmed monkeypox” are being told they should isolate at home, as long as they remain well enough.

They are also advised to avoid contact with other people until all their lesions have healed and the scabs have dried off and to wash their own clothing and bed linen with standard detergents in a washing machine.

Initial symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. A rash can develop, often beginning on the face, then spreading to other parts of the body including the genitals.

The UKHSA said that while the risk to the UK population remained low, people should be alert to any new rashes or lesions, which would appear like spots, ulcers or blisters, on any part of their body.

Although this advice applies to everyone, the agency said the majority of the cases identified to date have been among men who are gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men. Separately

a risk assessment has been carried by the Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance group looking at household pets.

Officials said the risk of a case infecting a pet is low. But they said that as a precautionary measure, cases should try to avoid contact with their pets, its bedding and litter for 21 days, and where possible pets should be cared for by someone else in the same household.

The UKHSA has purchased more than 20,000 doses of a safe smallpox vaccine called Imvanex which is being offered to identified close contacts of those diagnosed with monkeypox to reduce the risk of symptomatic infection and severe illness.

In another development, the World Health Organisation, has warned that monkeypox could become “established” in Britain and said that confirmed cases should be isolated in hospitals.

Since early May, more than 640 confirmed or suspected cases have been detected outside Africa, where the virus is endemic. Between 2017 and 2022, just nine cases were exported from the continent.