A patient is being treated for a case of Monkeypox in England. The patient is believed to have contracted the disease in Nigeria and is now being treated at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Saturday, May 7.
The NHS and the UKHSA are now contacting people who might have been in close contact with the individual. This includes contacting a number of passengers who travelled in close proximity to the patient on the same flight to the UK.
Monkeypox is a rare viral infection that does not spread easily between people. It is usually a mild self-limiting illness and most people recover within a few weeks. However, severe illness can occur in some individuals.
Read more: Monkeypox symptoms, causes and why it can be confused with chickenpox
Dr Colin Brown, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections, UKHSA, said: "It is important to emphasise that monkeypox does not spread easily between people and the overall risk to the general public is very low. We are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) to contact the individuals who have had close contact with the case prior to confirmation of their infection, to assess them as necessary and provide advice.
"UKHSA 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."
