Cases of smallpox have almost tripled in Britain, with health officials in Europe warning that the disease could become endemic on the continent.
A further 36 cases were confirmed on Monday, up from 20 on Friday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said as the virus continued to spread worldwide.
Dr. Susan Hopkins, the agency’s chief medical adviser, urged people to be aware of any unusual rash or injury and to contact a sexual health service if they have any symptoms.
“Thanks to everyone who has already tested and supported our contact tracking efforts; you are helping us limit the spread of this infection in the UK,” he said.
The UKHSA said it had bought supplies of a “safe” smallpox vaccine and offered it to those who had had close contact with someone diagnosed with smallpox. Those who are considered high risk after exposure have been advised to isolate themselves at home for up to 21 days.
The public health authority has confirmed that 1,000 doses of Imvanex vaccine have been issued or are in the process of being issued to NHS employers. He said there are currently more than 3,500 doses of Imvanex in the UK.
The news comes when the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said that EU countries should review the availability of their smallpox vaccine and upgrade their contract monitoring systems, now a total of 85 cases of smallpox had been identified in eight EU countries.
He also said that a failure to prevent the spread of human disease in the wild could also cause it to become endemic in Europe.
The ECDC statement said monkeypox viruses can cause serious illness in certain groups, such as young children, pregnant women and immunosuppressed people, but added that “more research is needed to accurately estimate the level of morbidity and mortality in this outbreak “.
He added: “If human-to-animal transmission occurs and the virus spreads to an animal population, there is a risk that the disease will become endemic in Europe.
“As such, there needs to be close cross-sectoral collaboration between human and veterinary public health authorities to manage exposed pets and prevent the disease from being transmitted to wildlife.”
However, he said the likelihood of an “overflow” in the animal population in Europe is very low.
The stages of the smallpox of the monkey as the infection develops
(PA Media)
Smallpox is transmitted through close contact between people who can become infected through air droplets, contact with the injuries of someone infected.
Dr. David Heymann, who previously headed the emergency department of the World Health Organization (WHO), told the Associated Press that the main theory behind the spread of the disease was sexual transmission in events. held in Spain and Belgium.
The disease is transmitted by close contact
(Brian WJ Mahyvia / CDC / Reuters)
“We know that monkeypox can be spread when there is close contact with the lesions of an infected person, and it seems that sexual contact has now amplified this transmission,” Dr. Heymann said.
To date, a significant number of cases have been identified in the UK and Europe in gays, bisexuals and men who have sex with men, but there is no evidence that monkeypox is specifically a sexually transmitted disease. A child was reported to be being treated in intensive care with the disease.