Monkeypox patients in Congo, Africa from 1996 to 1997 [자료사진 제공 : 연합뉴스]
A patient with ‘monkeypox’, a rare infectious disease that appeared mainly in Africa, was confirmed in the UK earlier this month.
It has been three years since a man was confirmed in the UK in 2019.
Since then, additional infections have been found in the UK, and the cumulative number of cases has risen to nine within a fortnight.
The first confirmed case in the UK visited Nigeria last month and recently returned home.
Nigeria is a country where monkeypox is endemic, but it is not known how the person came into contact with the virus locally.
British health officials said the four recently confirmed cases were all male and had sex with the same sex.
Monkey pox is not known as a sexually transmitted disease, but British health authorities have issued a ‘warning’ for men who are gay or bisexual when it is confirmed that the infected have had sex with the same sex.
Monkeypox patients in Congo, Africa from 1996 to 1997 [자료사진 제공 : 연합뉴스]
The British daily The Guardian reported that ‘monkey pox’ is showing signs of spreading to other countries in Europe as well.
In Portugal, there have been 5 confirmed cases of monkey pox this year, and there are 15 suspected cases.
Portugal’s Ministry of Health said, “There have been cases of ‘ulcerative lesions’ in the UK as well, and we are monitoring the situation nationwide with each European institution.”
In Spain, 23 suspected cases occurred in Madrid alone.
Spain’s health authorities said all suspected cases were in self-quarantine and appeared to be in stable condition, but said, “We are issuing a nationwide advisory for prompt and appropriate action.”
Spanish authorities added: “Although monkeypox is usually transmitted through the respiratory tract, there are currently 23 suspected cases that may have been transmitted through mucus during sexual contact.”
In Europe as well as in the United States, it was confirmed that a person from Massachusetts was infected with monkeypox following a person visited Canada.
Canadian health authorities are also monitoring 13 suspected cases.
The UK Health and Safety Agency pointed out, “Combining the recent confirmed cases and cases from European countries, concerns that monkeypox may have already spread to the community are becoming reality.”
Monkey smallpox was first discovered in 1958.
It got its name because symptoms similar to smallpox were found in laboratory monkeys.
In 1970, the first human case of infection was confirmed in Congo.
Since then, cases of infection have been reported steadily in Central and West Africa, particularly Congo and Nigeria.
The incubation period is usually 5 to 17 days, and like smallpox, early symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, lymphadenitis, and fatigue appear.
Afterwards, blisters and scabs form on the skin, and the lesion often spreads to the entire body, including the face and genitals.
It usually recovers within a few weeks, but in Africa, where medical facilities are scarce, it is often severe.
The fatality rate of the ‘Western African type’ with mild symptoms is regarding 1%, and the ‘Concobrain type’ with a high probability of severe progression is regarding 10%.
The monkey pox recently discovered in Europe is believed to be a West African type.