2 more cases of monkeypox virus confirmed in England

LONDON: Two individuals have been diagnosed with monkeypox virus in London, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed on Saturday. The cases are from the same household and are not linked to a previous infection confirmed by the agency last week, which had been linked with recent travel history to Nigeria where they are believed to have caught it.

Where and how the two new cases acquired their infection remains under investigation.

We have confirmed two new monkeypox cases in England that are not linked to the case announced on May 7, said Dr. Colin Brown, UKHSA Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections.

While investigations remain ongoing to determine the source of infection, it is important to emphasise it does not spread easily between people and requires close personal contact with an infected symptomatic person. The overall risk to the general public remains very low, he said.

UKHSA said they are contacting any potential friends, family, or contacts in the community and are also working with the National Health Service (NHS) to reach any healthcare contacts who have had close contact with the cases prior to confirmation of their infection, to assess them as necessary and provide advice.

UKHSA and NHS have wellestablished and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be strictly followed, added Brown.

One of the cases is receiving care at the expert infectious disease unit at St. Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London. The other case is isolating and does not currently require hospital treatment.

We are caring for a patient in our specialist high consequence infectious diseases unit at St. Mary’s Hospital. All of the necessary infectious control procedures have been followed and we are working closely with UKHSA and NHS England, said Professor Julian Redhead, medical director at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

Monkeypox is a rare viral infection that does not spread easily between people. It is usually a mild self-limiting illness and most people recover within a few weeks.

However, severe illness can occur in some people. The infection can be spread when someone is in close contact with an infected person, however, experts believe there is a very low risk of transmission to the general population.

Initial symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion.