A person in England has been diagnosed with a rare monkeypox viral infection believed to be linked to a trip to West Africa, health authorities said on Saturday.
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The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in a statement that the case, in a person who had recently traveled to Nigeriawas being treated at an expert respiratory infectious disease unit at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London.
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“It is important to underline that monkeypox does not spread easily between people and that the overall risk to the general public is very low,” said Colin Brown, director of clinical and emerging infections at the UKHSA.
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“As a precautionary measure, UKHSA experts are working closely with NHS colleagues and will be reaching out to people who might have been in close contact with the individual to provide information and advice. Health Tips”, reported the health agency.
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Among the measures contemplated is contemplating contacting several passengers who traveled very close to the patient on the same flight at United Kingdomand although people without symptoms are not considered infectious, “as a precautionary measure, those who have been close are being contacted to ensure that, if make sickcan be treated quickly. If passengers are not contacted, then there is no action for them to take.”
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The monkey pox it is a rare viral infection similar to smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980. Although monkeypox is much milder than smallpox, and most infected people recover within a few weeks, it can rarely be fatal.
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With information from Reuters
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