According to health officials, five cases have been verified in Portugal and seven in Spain. Monkeypox is particularly widespread in Central and West Africa’s rural areas.
On May 7, the first case of the disease was reported in the United Kingdom. According to the UK Health Security Agency, the patient had just travelled to Nigeria, where they are believed to have contracted the illness before arriving in England.
In the UK, there are already nine confirmed cases. Although the source of these infections has not been determined, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that instances appear to have been “locally acquired.”
After European health organizations were notified of the findings in the UK, confirmed cases were recorded in Portugal and Spain.
Most recently, health officials in the US state of Massachusetts reported that a man had contracted Monkeypox. He had recently returned from Canada, where 13 suspected instances of the virus are being probed, according to local media.
The man has been hospitalised, according to health officials, and is in “excellent condition” and “poses no risk to the public.”
Thousands of monkeypox vaccinations and treatments are being stockpiled in the United Kingdom amid fears that the current outbreak is just the beginning.
What is Monkeypox?
Monkeypox is caused by the monkeypox virus, which is related to smallpox but is considerably less severe and has a minimal risk of infection, according to scientists.
It’s usually found in distant portions of Central and West Africa, amid tropical rainforests.
There are two primary strains: the Congo strain, which is more severe and can result in up to 10% mortality, and the West African strain, which has a 1% fatality rate.
The West African strain has been identified as the source of the infections in the UK.
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