Saturday 28 May 2022 03:16 PM First monkeypox case is identified in Ireland as UK total rises to 106 trends now
The first confirmed case of monkeypox has been identified in Ireland, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has said.
The infection was reported in the east of Ireland on Friday evening and the affected person was not kept in hospital.
Health officials have said a second suspected case is also being investigated.
A public health risk assessment has been carried out and those who have been in contact with the person are being advised on what to do if they become ill.
In a statement, the HSE said: 'The Health Protection Surveillance Centre was notified last night of a confirmed case of monkeypox in Ireland, in the east of the country.'
'This was not unexpected following the presence of monkeypox cases in the UK and many European countries,' it added.
Mateo Prochazka, head of the UK Health Security Agency, is urging worried Britons to use local sexual health services rather than 111 so its staff can focus more on handling other health queries. It comes as another 16 cases of monkeypox have been spotted in the UK, pushing the total above 100. Nurses and doctors are being advised to stay 'alert' to patients who present with a new rash or scabby lesions (like above)
'Public Health is following up those who had close contact with the person with monkeypox while they were infectious.
'In order to maintain patient confidentiality, no further information about this person will be provided.'
It comes after a further 16 cases of the virus were identified in England on Friday. The first cases in Wales and Northern Ireland were recorded on Thursday, while Scotland has confirmed three cases in total.
The new cases bring the England total to 101 since May 7, and the UK total to 106.
Almost 200 cases have been reported in over 20 countries which are not usually known to have outbreaks of the virus.
It comes as the medical helpline NHS 111 is being swamped by callers with a rash who think they might have monkeypox, according to a health official.
Mateo Prochazka, head of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) investigating the outbreak, is urging worried Britons to use local sexual health services rather than 111 so its staff can focus more on handling other health queries.
Health chiefs are alarmed about the ever-growing cluster of cases, given that until now the smallpox-like infection was confined to a handful of people with travel links to Africa. The majority are among gay and bisexual men.
Mr Prochazka told The Daily Telegraph: 'Sexual health clinics are not just for gay and bisexual men. Anyone can be seen in a sexual health clinic, regardless of gender, sexual orientation or identity. Everyone is welcome.'
'There are other potential routes of trying to get yourself into the system, maybe calling NHS 111, but this resource has been really overloaded with everyone calling who had a rash,' he added, during a webinar hosted by Prepster, a volunteer group of London-based HIV prevention campaigners.
Meanwhile, a scientific group advising the UK Government has called for the pet hamsters, rabbits and other rodents owned by infected patients to be isolated for three weeks.
The Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance (HAIRS) group said these animals were at the highest risk of catching the virus, and they could spread it into wild populations.
Experts fear that if the virus is unleashed into wild animal populations then it will become endemic and be hard to eradicate, as is the case in parts of western and central Africa.
In new guidance issued on Friday, the group said: 'Based on current evidence, for pet rodents in households where there are infected people, temporary removal from the household for a limited quarantine period (21 days) and testing to exclude infection is recommended, particularly where there are infected human contacts who have had close direct and prolonged contact with the animal or its bedding and/or litter.'
The panel warned that hedgehogs, rats, mice, squirrels, rabbits and hares could all harbour the virus if monkeypox was to spill into Britain's wildlife populations.
In households already infected, dogs, cats and other pets will be allowed to stay in the home with their owner but must undergo 'regular vet checks' after their isolation period to make sure they do not have the virus.
Justine Shotton, president of the British Veterinary Association, said the association was monitoring the situation closely.
She believes the risk of infecting pets remains low but is 'supportive of a cautious approach' while officials seek to learn more about the virus.
Ms Shotton said: 'It would be a sensible decision to keep your distance from a pet while in quarantine.
'If I was diagnosed with monkeypox I would do whatever I could to limit contact, such as asking a friend or relative to take care of it.'
She added: 'There is currently no evidence of transmission between humans and cats and dogs but we know rabbits and rodents are susceptible.
Officials are confident the monkeypox outbreak will not grow exponentially like Covid, saying the risk to the public remains low.
However, they have urged Britons, especially men who have sex with men, to be on the lookout for any new rashes or lesions, which appear like spots, ulcers or blisters, on any part of their body.
Anyone worried about a rash is advised to call their sexual health clinic immediately.
Twenty countries across the world have now been affected by the current outbreak.
Teams from the UKHSA are contacting high-risk contacts of confirmed cases and advising them to self-isolate at home for three weeks and avoid contact with children.
Both confirmed cases and close contacts are being offered the Imvanex vaccine to form a buffer of immune people around a confirmed case to limit the spread of the disease.
The strategy, known as ring vaccination, has been used in previous monkeypox outbreaks and is also being carried out in some EU countries.
Dr Susan Hopkins, the UKHSA's chief medical adviser, said: 'We are continuing to promptly identify further monkeypox cases in England through our extensive surveillance and contact tracing networks, our vigilant NHS services, and thanks to people coming forward with symptoms.
'We are asking people to look out for new spots, ulcers or blisters on any part of their body.
'If anyone suspects they might have these, particularly if they have recently had a new sexual partner, they should limit their contact with others and contact NHS 111 or their local sexual health service as soon as possible, though please phone ahead before attending in person.'
The disease, first discovered in lab monkeys in the late 1950s, is usually mild but can cause severe illness in some cases. It can kill up to 10 per cent of people it infects.
The milder strain causing the current outbreak kills one in 100 — similar to when Covid first hit.
Monkeypox has an incubation period of anywhere up to 21 days, meaning it can take three weeks for symptoms to appear.
Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.
Health chiefs have warned monkeypox, a virus endemic in parts of Africa and is known for its rare and unusual rashes, bumps and lesions, could also spread to some pets and become endemic in Europe. Undated handout file image issued by the UK Health Security Agency of the stages of Monkeypox
A rash can develop, often beginning on the face, which then spreads to other parts of the body — including the
