A man in England has been diagnosed with the rare viral infection of smallpox, according to the United Kingdom’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The patient recently traveled from Nigeria, where he is thought to have contracted the infection, before arriving in the UK.
The person received care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Infectious Diseases Unit in London.
Smallpox does not spread easily among humans, but it can be transmitted when someone is in close contact with an infected person.
According to the UKHSA, there is a very low risk of transmission to the general population.
Experts are currently working closely with the NHS, he said, adding that he would contact people who may have been in close contact with the person to provide information and health advice.
A number of passengers traveling in close proximity to the patient on the same flight to the United Kingdom will also be connected, the health agency said.
Although asymptomatic people are not considered infectious, a precaution is taken to contact those who have been close to the infected person to ensure that if they become ill, they can be treated quickly, the UKHSA added.
Dr Colin Brown, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections at UKHSA, said: “It is important to emphasize that monkeypox is not easily spread among humans and the overall risk to the general public is very low.
“We are working with the NHS England and the NHS Improvement (NHSE) to contact people who had close contact with the case before confirming their infection, to assess them if necessary and to provide advice.
“UKHSA and NHS have well-established and robust infection control procedures to deal with cases of imported infectious diseases and they will be strictly followed.
Dr Nicholas Price, director of the NHSE’s High Infectious Disease Infectious Diseases Network (Airborne Infections) and Guy’s and St Thomas Infectious Diseases Consultant, said: ‘The patient is being treated in our specialist isolation ward at St Thomas’ Hospital. by expert clinical staff with strict procedures to prevent infections.
“This is a good example of the way the National Network on Infectious Diseases with High Consequences and the UKHSA work closely together to respond quickly and effectively to these sporadic cases.
The initial symptoms of monkeypox include:
- Fever
- headache
- Muscle pain
- Back pain
- Swollen lymph nodes
- chills
- Exhaustion
Other symptoms include rashes that can develop, often starting in the face and then spreading to other parts of the body. The rash changes and goes through various stages before finally forming scabs, which later disappear.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), monkeypox is a viral zoonosis – a virus transmitted to humans by animals – with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in patients with smallpox.
Since 1970, cases of monkeypox have been reported in people from 11 African countries: Benin, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and South Sudan.
In 2017, Nigeria experienced its largest documented outbreak, 40 years after the last confirmed case. The true burden of monkeypox is unknown.
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