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New UK Cases of Monkeypox as CDC 'Concerned' Over First US Case

Two more cases of monkeypox have been notified in the UK, health officials have confirmed, bringing the total number of British cases to nine.

The new cases are in addition to the four reported earlier this week, the two reported on Saturday, and the original case notified on May 7, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. One of the additional cases is in London and the other in South East England.

Neither has known connections with the previous confirmed cases, and the UKHSA said it was working closely with the NHS to investigate where and how recent cases were acquired, including how they may be linked to each other.

"The two latest cases have no travel links to a country where monkeypox is endemic, so it is possible they acquired the infection through community transmission," the UKHSA said. It noted that recent cases have been "predominantly in gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with men", and that the disease can be passed on by direct contact during sex. "Monkeypox has not previously been described as a sexually transmitted infection," it added.

Low Risk to General Population

The risk to the general population remains low, the Agency said, although the disease can also be passed on through other close contact with an infected person, or through contact with clothing or linens used by them.

Dr Susan Hopkins, the UKHSA's chief medical adviser, said: "These latest cases, together with reports of cases in countries across Europe, confirms our initial concerns that there could be spread of monkeypox within our communities.

"UKHSA has quickly identified cases so far and we continue to rapidly investigate the source of these infections and raise awareness among healthcare professionals.

"We are particularly urging men who are gay and bisexual to be aware of any unusual rashes or lesions and to contact a sexual health service without delay if they have concerns. Please contact clinics ahead of your visit.

"We are contacting any identified close contacts of the cases to provide health information and advice."

The Agency reiterated advice to clinicians to be alert to individuals presenting with rashes without a clear alternative diagnosis, and to contact specialist services for advice.

'Concern' in the US

Meanwhile, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said it was watching the situation in the UK with concern, in case the outbreak spreads beyond the UK borders, particularly as there appears to be some level of undetected spread. "We do have a level of concern that this is very different than what we typically think of from monkeypox," Jennifer McQuiston, DVM, a veterinarian with the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases and a captain in the US Public Health Service, was quoted as saying.

US health officials were reported to be monitoring six Americans who shared a flight with a British patient who had tested positive for the virus. They sat within a three-row radius of the patient on a flight from Nigeria to the UK on May 4. The US patients probably don't have the virus, but will be monitored for 21 days, Dr McQuiston said.

This morning it was reported that the CDC was collaborating with Massachusetts health officials to investigate a case of monkeypox confirmed in a man who had recently travelled to Canada, according to state health officials.

The patient is hospitalised in stable condition in an airborne infection isolation room at Massachusetts General Hospital, according to Dr Paul Biddinger, chief preparedness and continuity officer at sister hospital Mass General Brigham. During a press briefing, he said that clinicians are not sure how the patient was infected, but emphasised that "historically, this has been a very rare disease, with very rare transmission around the world".

Local health officials are currently conducting contact tracing. Canadian officials said no cases of monkeypox have been reported to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

As with the UK cases, the Massachusetts patient has the less severe West African strain of monkeypox.

Dr McQuiston was reported as saying that although this was the only confirmed infection in the US that the CDC was currently aware of, "we are preparing for the possibility of more cases".

The CDC is also reported to be tracking multiple clusters of monkeypox that have been identified within the past two weeks in several other countries, including Portugal and Spain.

Lead Image Credit: Science Photo Library /Getty Images

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