In the UK, four more people have been diagnosed with monkey pox, with three of the new cases in London and one in the North East of England.
It brings the total number of people infected in the current outbreak to seven, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed.
Health officials are now investigating whether a number of cases were sexually transmitted – in what one expert fears could be the first recorded cases of their kind.
Here’s what you need to know.
What is monkey pox?
Monkeypox is a viral infection commonly associated with travel to West Africa.
It is usually a mild disease spread through very close contact with someone who has monkey pox, although it does not pass easily between people.
While most people who contract monkey pox recover within a few weeks, it can cause serious illness in some people.
The NHS has said it can be caught by infected wildlife in parts of West and Central Africa, as well as touching clothing, bedding or towels used by someone with monkey pox rash, coughing or sneezing and touching blisters or scabs on the skin from monkeypox.
The UKHSA has said there is a low risk of transmission to the general UK population.
How is monkeypox transmitted?
According to the NHS, monkeypox can be caught by infected wildlife in parts of West and Central Africa.
It is thought to be spread by rodents, such as rats, mice and squirrels.
You can get monkey pox from an infected animal if you are bitten, or if you touch its blood, body fluids, spots, blisters, or scabs.
It may also be possible to get monkey pox by eating meat from an infected animal that has not been cooked properly, or by touching other products from infected animals (such as animal skin or fur).
It is very uncommon to get monkey pox from an infected person, but it can be spread by touching clothing, bedding, or towels used by someone with monkey pox rash, touching blisters or crusts on the skin from monkey pox, or coughing or sneezing from an infected person.
Three of the new cases are in London and one linked case is in the North East of England. All four patients are men who identify as gay, bisexual, or as having sex with men (MSM).
Investigations are underway to establish links between these latest cases, all of which appear to be infected in the capital. Common contacts were found for two of the last four cases.
Officials have stressed that there is as yet no confirmation of sexually transmitted cases of monkey pox.
What are the symptoms?
According to the NHS, it can take five to 21 days for monkeypox symptoms to appear.
The first symptoms of monkey pox include a high temperature, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen glands, chills (shivers), and exhaustion.
A rash normally appears one to five days after the first symptoms, often starting on the face before spreading to other parts of the body.
The rash is sometimes confused with chickenpox and starts out as raised patches, before turning into small blisters filled with fluid, which eventually form crusts before falling off.
Symptoms usually disappear within two to four weeks, and the illness is usually mild but can sometimes be more severe and has been reported to have caused death in West Africa.
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