Most cases of monkeypox are found in Africa, but the disease sometimes appears in the UK. It was first reported here in 2018 and this week two cases were confirmed in North Wales. So what are the chances of the disease spreading further and how is it transmitted?
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus.
The chances of catching the disease in the UK are rare as it does not spread easily between people.
Richard Firth Consultant in Health Protection at Public Health Wales said: “Confirmed cases of monkeypox are a rare event in the UK, and the risk to the general public is very low.”
Monkeypox is viral, zoonotic disease, which comes from the monkeypox virus.
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The disease is normally transmitted to people from wild animals such as rodents and primates, but can also be spread by person to person contact.
So what are the ways monkeypox is passed on from person to person?
The virus enters the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract, or through your eyes, nose, or mouth.
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These bumps often come with flu-like symptoms such as high temperature, muscle aches and swollen glands.
But, the World Health Organisation stresses that even when outbreaks occur human-to-human transmission is relatively limited.
The illness caused by monkeypox tends to be mild and often those infected will get better on their own without treatment within a few weeks.
The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock described such minor outbreaks in the UK as “absolutely standard” while addressing the Health and Social Select Committee earlier this week.
Published at Sat, 12 Jun 2021 20:00:28 +0000
