The World Health Organization has issued a serious warning with the discovery of four more cases of monkeypox in the UK.
According to the UK’s Health Security Agency, the new cases discovered in London and north-east England have no known link to the three previous infections.
Monkeypox is a virus commonly found in central and western Africa and can be transmitted by contact and exposure to droplets through exhalation. The World Health Organization says symptoms can be mild or severe and can include lesions that may be very itchy or painful.
Currently, UKHSA has established joint contact with two of the last four infected cases.
The state health agency is also investigating links with the virus. In a statement, the World Health Organization said: “Any illness during travel or upon return from an endemic area must inform the health professional, including information regarding travel history and recent immunization. Residents and travelers to endemic countries should avoid contact with sick animals (dead or live). which can harbor monkeypox virus (rodents, marsupials, monkeys) and they should refrain from eating or handling wild game (bush meat).The importance of hand hygiene using soap and water, or alcohol-containing sanitizers should be emphasized.While a vaccine has recently been approved As a specific treatment for monkeypox, in 2019 and 2022 respectively, these countermeasures are not yet widely available.”
The UKHSA also noted that none of the new cases had visited a country where monkeypox, a virus that kills up to 10% of the infected population, is endemic.
Last month, it identified seven cases in total, the first of which was a recent return from Nigeria, where he is believed to have contracted the virus.
According to a statement from the World Health Organization: “Since September 2017, Nigeria has continued to report cases of monkeypox. From September 2017 to April 30, 2022, a total of 558 suspected cases were reported from 32 states of the country. Among these cases, a total of 558 suspected cases were reported from the country. 241 cases were confirmed, including eight deaths (case fatality rate: 3.3%).