Monkeypox: UK confirms four new cases among gay and bisexual men
Four new cases of monkeypox have been identified in the UK, all of which are among gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men (MSM).
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that all appear to have been infected in London, but that investigations are underway and common contacts have been identified in two of the four latest infections. “There is no link to travel to a country where monkeypox is endemic, and exactly where and how they acquired their infections remains under urgent investigation, including whether they have further links to each other,” the UKHSA said in its latest update on 16 May.
Those needing medical care are all currently getting it in specialist infectious disease units, with all four cases having the West African clade of the virus, which is mild in comparison to the Central African one.
Two of the four cases know each other, the health agency also confirmed. Due to the virus not spreading easily, the UK population is not believed to be at risk at this time.
