Sunday 22 May 2022 09:43 AM Doctors warn of 'significant rise' in UK monkeypox cases with surge over next ... trends now

Sunday 22 May 2022 09:43 AM Doctors warn of 'significant rise' in UK monkeypox cases with surge over next ... trends now
Sunday 22 May 2022 09:43 AM Doctors warn of 'significant rise' in UK monkeypox cases with surge over next ... trends now

Sunday 22 May 2022 09:43 AM Doctors warn of 'significant rise' in UK monkeypox cases with surge over next ... trends now

The UK faces a 'significant' rise in monkeypox cases, doctors have warned, as experts say infections could surge over the next 'two to three weeks' and the government's response is 'critical' in containing its spread.

Dr Claire Dewsnap, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, has also said the outbreak could have a 'massive impact' on access to sexual health services in Britain.

It comes as Sajid Javid yesterday revealed another 11 Britons had tested positive for the virus, taking the total to 20.

The cases include a British child currently in a critical condition at a London hospital, while a further 100 infections have been recorded in Europe.

Dr Dewsnap told Sky News: 'Our response is really critical here. 

Dr Claire Dewsnap, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, warns of a 'significant' rise in infections across the UK in the coming weeks

Dr Claire Dewsnap, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, warns of a 'significant' rise in infections across the UK in the coming weeks

'There is going to be more diagnoses over the next week. 

'How many is hard to say. What worries me the most is there are infections across Europe, so this has already spread.

'It's already circulating in the general population. 

'Getting on top of all those people's contacts is a massive job.

'It could be really significant numbers over the next two or three weeks.'

She says she expects more cases to be identified around the UK, with a 'significant rise over this next week'.

One of the first known cases of the monkeypox virus are shown on a patient's hand on June 5, 2003, via a picture released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

One of the first known cases of the monkeypox virus are shown on a patient's hand on June 5, 2003, via a picture released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

A 2003 electron microscope image issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions

A 2003 electron microscope image issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions

WHAT IS MONKEYPOX?

Monkeypox - often caught through handling monkeys - is a rare viral disease that kills around 10 per cent of people it strikes, according to figures.

The virus responsible for the disease is found mainly in the tropical areas of west and central Africa.

Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958, with the first reported human case in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970. Human cases were recorded for the first time in the US in 2003 and the UK in September 2018.

It resides in wild animals but humans can catch it through direct contact with animals, such as handling monkeys, or eating inadequately cooked meat. 

The virus can enter the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract, or the eyes, nose or mouth.

It can pass between humans via droplets in the air, and by touching the skin of an infected individual, or touching objects contaminated by them. 

Symptoms usually appear within five and 21 days of infection. These include a fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills and fatigue.

The most obvious symptom is a rash, which usually appears on the face before spreading to other parts of the body. This then forms skin lesions that scab and fall off.

Monkeypox is usually mild, with most patients

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