A case of imported monkeypox has been confirmed in England
This has been confirmed by Public Health England (PHE), which said that the patient is believed to have contracted the infection while visiting Nigeria.
The viral infection is rare and does not spread easily between people. As such, the risk to the general public is very low.
Passengers who travelled in close proximity to the patient on the same flight to the UK will be contacted
In addition, the illness tends to be self-limiting (ultimately resolving itself without treatment) and most people will recover within a few weeks. But severe illness can occur in some individuals.
As a precautionary measure, PHE experts are working closely with NHS colleagues to implement rapid infection control procedures. This includes contacting people who might have been in close contact with the individual to provide information and health advice.
As such, passengers who travelled in close proximity to the patient on the same flight to the UK will be contacted. PHE said that if passengers are not contacted, there is no action they should take.
The patient has been transferred to the specialist high consequence infectious disease centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, where they are receiving appropriate care.
Dr Meera Chand, Consultant Microbiologist at Public Health England, said: “Monkeypox does not spread easily between people and the overall risk to the general public is very low. We are following up with those who have had close contact with the patient to offer advice and to monitor them as necessary. PHE and the NHS have well established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be strictly followed to minimise the risk of transmission.”