Two people have been diagnosed with monkeypox in London, health officials said on Saturday.
–
The two live together in the same household and are not linked to the previous confirmed case in England that was announced on May 7, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.
Of the latest two cases, one person is receiving care at the infectious disease expert unit at St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London.
The other person is isolating and does not currently require hospital treatment, UKHSA said.
Health officials said they are investigating where and how the latest monkeypox cases acquired their infection.
People who might have been in close contact with any of the cases are being contacted and given information and health advice, UKHSA said.
Dr Colin Brown, director of clinical and emerging infections at the UKHSA, said: “We have confirmed two new cases of monkeypox in England that are unrelated to the case announced on 7 May.
“While investigations are still ongoing to determine the source of infection, it is important to emphasize that 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 reaching out to potential friends, family or contacts in the community. We are also working with the NHS to reach out to any healthcare contacts who may have had close contact with the cases prior to confirmation of their infection, to test them as necessary and provide advice.”
The first case of monkeypox in the UK was reported in September 2018 in a person believed to have been infected in Nigeria.
It is a rare viral infection that does not spread easily between people and is usually a mild, self-limited illness; however, some people may experience serious illness.
Initial symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion.
A rash may also develop, usually starting on the face before spreading to other parts of the body. It eventually forms a scab that falls off.
Dr Colin Brown, director of clinical and emerging infections at UKHSA, said: “It is important to emphasize that monkeypox does not spread easily between people and the overall risk to the general public is very low.”
On Friday, Scottish health officials revealed they were involved in contact tracing a “small number of people” linked to an earlier case of monkeypox identified in England.
A case of monkeypox was announced south of the border on Saturday 7 May in a patient with a recent travel history from Nigeria, which is where he is believed to have contracted the infection before traveling to the UK.
–
