The UK has detected 11 new cases of monkeypox in England, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in England since May 6 to 20, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported on Friday.
According to Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who said in a Twitter post on Friday that he had kept the Group of Seven health ministers informed of the information, most cases were mild. “I can confirm that we have procured more doses of effective monkeypox vaccine,” he added.
Monkeypox is a generally mild, self-limiting disease spread by very close contact with someone with the virus, and most people with the virus recover within weeks, the UKHSA said, adding that a significant proportion the first cases were detected in homosexual or bisexual men.
“We anticipate a continued increase in the number of cases in the coming days with more new cases being identified in the wider community. In addition, we are receiving reports of other cases identified in other countries in the world. world,” said UKHSA chief medical adviser Susan Hopkins.
Although this infection can be transmitted through close contact or through contact with clothing or linens used by someone with the virus, the virus does not usually spread easily from person to person and the risk for the British population remains low, however, said this agency.
Investigation into the source of these infections is ongoing.
As of May 7, the UKHSA said it had confirmed an individual had tested positive for monkeypox in England, and this patient recently traveled to Nigeria, where he is thought to have contracted the infection before to travel to the UK.
