UK Health Professionals Confirm Reports Of A Deadly Monkeypox Case In The Country

You have heard of chickenpox, but monkeypox may be a relatively new term for you. Like chickenpox, also known as varicella, this rare viral infection is contagious though not in the same intensity as chickenpox.

It shares similarities to the now eradicated human smallpox. While monkeypox may be milder compared to smallpox, health professionals reveal that it can be fatal in some cases.

The origin of this rare viral disease can be traced to remote parts of the west and central Africa, particularly in areas that are near tropical rainforests. It is contracted by humans after being bitten by an infected animal, or if there is direct contact with the bodily fluids or lesions of the animal.

While monkeypox is regarded by experts as a self-limiting disease, with most being able to recover within a couple of weeks, 10% of the reported cases have been proven fatal. The reported monkeypox case in England involved a patient who is believed to have acquired the disease while on a visit to Nigeria. Public Health England revealed the patient was living in South West England before being transferred to a specialist highly infectious disease center at Guy’s and St. Thomas NHS Foundation Trust. The patient is now receiving proper care at the medical institution.

PHE experts, as a defensive measure, are presently working meticulously with their colleagues at the NHS to develop and deploy rapid infection management procedures. These include getting in touch with people who might have come in close contact with infected patients to give them health advice and other important information.

Such protective measure also includes contacting individuals who traveled on the same flight back to the UK beside or near the infected patient. Dr. Meera Chand, a Public Health England consultant microbiologist, said there is no need to panic as monkeypox does not easily spread between people. Dr. Chand added that the overall health risk to the public is minimal.

The microbiologist consultant also said they have been in touch with those who had close contact with the patient to provide the advice and monitor their condition as necessary. Dr. Chand said that both the PHE and the NHS had developed strong infection control measures that can deal with infectious diseases of foreign origins. The microbiologist consultant said such procedures will be strictly implemented to ensure transmission risks are reduced or minimized.