Two more cases of monkeypox have been discovered in Wales, Public Health Wales has confirmed. This brings the total number of cases in the country to eighteen. These new positive cases come as the World Health Organisation report a 77% weekly increase in the virus.
Richard Firth, consultant in health protection for Public Health Wales said: “Public Health Wales is today (July 7) confirming that two additional cases of monkeypox have been identified in Wales. This brings the total in Wales to eighteen. The cases are being managed appropriately. To protect patient confidentiality, no further details relating to the patients will be disclosed.”
The two new positive cases announced today (July 7) come after seven new cases were announced on Monday, July 4. Public Health Wales said they will only be issuing updates on the number of cases on Mondays and Thursdays.
Read more: Cases of monkeypox have surged 77% in a week, says World Health Organisation
Cases of monkeypox infection were first confirmed in England from May 6, 2022. As of July 4, 2022 there were 1,351 laboratory confirmed cases in the UK.
Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue, but some may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body. The rash can look like chickenpox or syphilis, and scabs can form which then fall off.
The virus can be passed on by sexual activity, coughing or sneezing, or contact with monkeypox scabs - including via bedding, towels or clothing. Most people recover within several weeks, although some can suffer a severe illness.
Cases of monkeypox in the UK, including in Wales, are reported on the UKHSA website. Anyone with concerns is urged to avoid close contact with others and call NHS 111 or their local sexual health service for advice. They are also advised to phone ahead before attending in person.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported a 77% weekly increase in the number of lab-confirmed monkeypox cases across the world. This brings the number of cases to more than 6,000 worldwide, and two more deaths in parts of Africa where the virus has circulated for years.
Most of the cases were reported in Europe and Africa. The UN health agency said the mysterious outbreak continued to mainly affect men who had had sex with men, and that other population groups showed no signs of sustained transmission.
WHO said it had counted 6,027 laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox from 59 countries as of Monday, an increase of 2,614 cases since its last count for the week ending June 27. It said three people had now died in connection with the outbreak, all of them in Africa.
The agency said nine additional countries had reported cases, while 10 countries had not reported any new cases for more than three weeks, which is the maximum incubation period.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday that he remained “concerned by the scale and spread of the virus”, noting that over 80% of the cases turned up in Europe.
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