Monkeypox alert as two new cases confirmed
TWO new cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in England, a week after another case was identified in a traveller to the UK from Nigeria.
The two new sufferers live in the same household and are not linked to the first case.
Close contacts of the latest two are being offered information and health advice “as a precautionary measure”, the UK Health Security Agency said.
Health bosses stressed that monkeypox does not spread easily between people and the overall risk to the public remains
“very low”.
One of the new cases is being cared for at the infectious diseases unit at St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare Nhstrust, in London.
The other is isolating and does not currently require any hospital treatment.
Health officials said they are investigating where and how the pair acquired their infection.
Dr Colin Brown, director of clinical and emerging infections at the UKHSA, said: “We have confirmed two new monkeypox cases in England that are not linked to the case announced on May 7.
“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.”
The health agency said that initial symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.
It said a rash can develop, which changes and goes through different stages before finally forming a scab, which later falls off.