People with smallpox symptoms should not have sex, according to new guidelines issued by health authorities.
The advice was issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and authorities in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales to try to curb the spread of the virus, as 71 more cases were identified in England. .
The total number of confirmed cases in the UK is now 179 as of 7 May, with four confirmed cases in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland and one in Wales.
People with monkeypox were also urged to avoid close contact with others until their injuries have healed and their scabs have dried, according to the joint guide issued by
They should also make sure to use condoms for eight weeks after infection.
People who have had contact with someone with the disease should also be assessed for risk and may be told to be isolated for 21 days if necessary.
It comes when the World Health Organization’s chief monkeypox expert, Dr. Rosamund Lewis, said she did not expect the hundreds of cases reported around the world so far to turn into another pandemic.
Elsewhere, Ireland announced its first case on Saturday and a suspected infection is being investigated.
Image: UKHSA says population risk “remains low”
Read more: What do we know about the biggest smallpox outbreak in the UK?
The UKHSA has said the risk to the population “remains low” because the virus, which is transmitted by close physical contact, does not spread easily.
But they warned that it can live on surfaces such as sheets or towels.
People are advised to take care of unusual rashes or ulceration.
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1:39 It’s like catching monkeypox
In particular, gay or bisexual men are being asked to know the symptoms, as the UKHSA said “most of the cases identified so far” had been found among this group.
Healthcare teams are tracking the contacts of people who test positive and advise those most at risk to be isolated at home for up to 21 days.
Read more: Veterinarian who caught monkeypox in 2003 says new outbreak is “a ton of attention for the world”
Despite the recent increase in cases, a WHO monkeypox expert said she is currently “not concerned about a global pandemic” from monkeypox.
“We are concerned that people may acquire this infection through high-risk exposure if they do not have the information they need to protect themselves,” said Dr. Rosamund Lewis.
He warned that anyone is at potential risk for the disease, regardless of sexual orientation.
His colleague Andy Seale, a strategy adviser in the WHO’s Department of Sexually Transmitted Infections Programs, said the unusual spread of monkeypox does not mean that people should avoid parades. of LGBTQ + pride this summer.