Three people in England have a monkeypox – here's what you need to know

A third case of rare disease, monkeypox, has been diagnosed in England. Public Health England (PHE) officials on Wednesday announced the deal in a statement, Reuters reported.

Earlier this month, two more people were diagnosed with monkeypox, although cases were not linked to the UK, according to PHE. The first was a resident of Nigeria. Officials believe that this person contracted the monkeypox there before traveling to the UK. The second patient also appears to have contracted the infection in Nigeria after traveling there.

"We know that in September 2017, Nigeria experienced a major epidemic of monkeypox and that since then, sporadic cases have continued to be reported," said Dr. Nick Phin, Deputy Director of the Department. national PHE infections, September 11th. second case has been announced. "It is likely that monkeypox continues to circulate in Nigeria and could therefore affect travelers returning from this part of the world".

But the third person to contract the infection is not a traveler: it is a health worker. The worker was involved in the care of the second patient before this person was diagnosed with monkeypox, according to PHE.

"This person has been isolated and we take a very careful approach to ensure that all contacts are followed," said Phin in his latest release.

Here is what you need to know about the disease.

Monkeypox is rare and mainly passes from animals to humans

CDC / Getty Images

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), monkeypox is a rare viral disease that occurs mainly in parts of West and Central Africa. It spreads primarily from animals to humans and is "limited" to spread between humans, says WHO.

The United States experienced a monkeypox outbreak in 2003 with a total of 37 confirmed cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Investigators have finally traced the outbreak to a shipment of animals from Ghana. This was the first time that a human monkeypox was reported outside of Africa.

The first case reported by PHE was also the first to be diagnosed in the UK.

This can be serious, but most cases are mild and improve on their own.

Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, back pain, sore muscles, and a lack of energy, followed by a rash that often spreads to the face. The rash evolves to form small vesicles or fluid-filled lesions, which eventually form crusts.

There are no treatments or vaccines, but most cases go away on their own.

"Monkeypox is, in most cases, a mild illness that will resolve on its own and have no long-term effect on a person's health," said Dr. Michael Jacobs, Clinical Director. of infection at Royal Free Hospital. . "Most people recover in a few weeks."

In some cases, especially in young children, the infection can be serious or life-threatening, according to WHO. (In previous epidemics, the death rate was between 1 and 10%, the organization adds.) But English health officials pointed out that the three new cases in the UK do not pose a threat serious.

"It is important to point out that monkeypox does not spread easily between people and that the overall risk to the general public is very low," Phin said in a PHE statement.

Learn more about monkeypox on the WHO website.

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