British monkeypox cases rise to 225
The UK Health Security Agency has detected 15 new cases of monkeypox in England.
The United Kingdom Health Security Agency reported a total of 225 cases, with 8 confirmed cases in Scotland, 2 in Northern Ireland and 1 in Wales.
Monkeypox is a rare viral infection similar to human smallpox, although milder, first registered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 1970s. The number of cases in West Africa has increased in the past decade.
The infection stems from direct contact with infected animals’ blood, body fluids, skin pests or mucous fluids. In Africa, cases of infection caused by the handling of monkeys, large gambic rats or infected squirrels have been documented, with rodents being the main reservoir of the virus. Eating poorly cooked meat from infected animals is likely to be a risk factor associated with infection.
