Two cases of monkey pox have been reported in North Wales, health officials said.
Public health Wales (PHW) said the people had been infected overseas and the two patients were from the same household.
PHW and Public Health England are monitoring the cases, which have seen the two people admitted to hospital in England.
Symptoms of monkey pox include rash, chills, fever, and exhaustion
One patient has since been released.
“Confirmed cases of monkey pox are a rare event in the UK and the risk to the general public is very low,” said Richard Firth, PHW health protection consultant.
“We worked with multi-agency colleagues, following proven protocols and procedures, and identified all close contacts.
“Actions have been taken to minimize the likelihood of a new infection.
“Monkey pox is a rare disease caused by the monkey pox virus and has been reported mainly in countries in Central and West Africa.
Monkey pox – first reported in UK in September 2018 – is considered to be a mild condition in most cases, which will not have a long-term impact on health and will take a few weeks to recover without the need for treatment.
It is possible for a rash to develop beyond the initial symptoms, which include fever, headache, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and back pain.
The virus is similar to smallpox and can be fatal, but it is considerably milder in the vast majority of cases.
According to the WHO, human cases are mainly reported in rural parts of Central and West Africa, with the largest documented outbreak having occurred in Nigeria in 2017.
The first case outside of Africa was in the United States in 2003.
In december 2019, a case was discovered in England – the fourth case diagnosed in the UK since 2018.
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-06-10 20:48:00
