Two more cases of the rare viral monkeypox disease have been identified in England, according to health officials, although they are unrelated to the one reported a week ago. The latest illnesses were persons living in the same household, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and an inquiry into how they caught the virus is underway.
One of the people is being treated in a hospital by an infectious disease expert, while the other is being isolated at home.
The UKHSA noted that close contacts of the newest two cases are being given information and health advice “as a preventative measure.”
Monkeypox is an uncommon viral virus that kills one out of every 10 persons affected, yet it is difficult to spread between people.
After a passenger carried the illness back from Nigeria, it spread to two other people, including an NHS nurse who caught it from bed linen.
It is critical to emphasize that the overall danger to the general public remains ‘very low,’ according to health officials.
One of the most recent instances is being treated at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust’s St Mary’s Hospital in London’s infectious diseases unit.
According to the UKHSA, the second person is isolated and does not require hospital treatment at this time. Health officials said they’re looking into where and how the couple got their virus.
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 emphasize 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.
‘We are contacting any potential friends, family, or contacts in the community. We are also working with the 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.’
He said the UKHSA and the NHS have ‘well established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be strictly followed’.
Fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and tiredness are among the first signs of monkeypox. A rash may appear, changing and progressing through many stages before creating a scab that eventually falls off.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
