Monkeypox case confirmed in UK as patient being treated in isolation ward
Monkeypox does not spread easily between people. It’s usually a mild, self-limiting illness and most people recover within a few weeks
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What is monkeypox? Everything you need to know
A case of monkeypox has been confirmed in the UK, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said today.
The patient is believed to have contracted the rare viral infection from Nigeria, where he was located before coming to the UK.
The patient is currently in isolation and being cared for at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust’s Infectious Diseases Unit in London.
Monkeypox does not spread easily between humans. It’s usually a mild, self-limiting illness and most people recover within a few weeks.
However, some people can develop serious illnesses.
The infection can spread when someone is in close contact with an infected person, but the risk of transmission to the general population is very low, the UKHSA said.
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As a precaution, the UKHSA and NHS are working to contact those who may have been in close contact with those who have been infected.
This includes contacting a number of passengers who were in close proximity to the patient on their flight.
Those without symptoms are not considered contagious, but those who have been in close contact are told they can be treated quickly if they feel unwell.
Monkeypox is usually found in remote parts of central and west Africa near tropical rainforests.
Monkeypox has eight symptoms that typically do not appear for at least five days.
This “incubation period” can last up to 13 or 21 days before it’s clear that the person has monkeypox.
In the first five days, the eight symptoms are:
- A high temperature of 38°C or higher
- headache
- Muscle cramp
- back pain
- swollen glands
- chills
- exhaustion
- A rash that forms scabs and may fill with fluid
The rash usually appears within the first five days, according to the NHS.
According to the World Health Organization, 95% of the rash affects the face and 75% affects the hands.
You can catch monkeypox by touching an infected person’s spots or scabs, or their clothing or bedding, and it can be transmitted by sneezing and coughing.
However, it is considered unlikely that the virus will be transmitted from person to person.
The virus is more likely to have come from direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected animal.
The illness usually lasts two to four weeks and patients may get better without treatment.
It can be dangerous when people develop secondary infections such as sepsis, encephalitis, and infection of the cornea that lead to vision loss.
Additionally, the UKHSA says passengers need not take any action if they are not contacted.
dr Colin Brown, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections, UKHSA, said: “It is important to stress that monkeypox does not spread easily between people and the overall risk to the general public is very low.
“We are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) to contact those who were in close contact with the case before their infection was confirmed, to assess them and provide advice where necessary.
“UKHSA and the NHS have well established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious diseases and these are strictly followed.
Nicholas Price, Director of the NHSE High Consequence Infection Diseases (airborne) Network and Infectious Disease Advisor at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “The patient is being treated in our specialist isolation unit at St Thomas’ Hospital by experienced clinical staff with strict conditions This is a good example of how the National High Impact Infectious Diseases Network and the UKHSA are working closely together to respond quickly and effectively to these sporadic cases.”
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https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-monkeypox-case-confirmed-uk-26900658 Monkeypox case confirmed in UK as patient being treated in isolation ward
