Monkeypox is a notifiable disease in the United Kingdom
Key Takeaways:
- With almost 300 confirmed cases a month after the epidemic, the United Kingdom is second only to Africa in terms of monkeypox cases.
- A five-year-old kid from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, who had been suspected of having monkeypox proved negative on Tuesday.
With more than 300 confirmed cases a month after the pandemic, the United Kingdom has the second-largest number of monkeypox cases behind Africa. Over 700 instances of the virus have been discovered so far, with numerous more confirmed cases in over 20 nations.
As per the World Health Organization, the virus spreads when people come into close contact with an infected person (WHO).
The latest information on the monkeypox outbreak is as follows:
1. Monkeypox has been declared a 'notifiable infectious illness' by the UK health security agency following the discovery of more than 300 instances of the disease in the country. As a result of the disease's categorization, clinicians in England will be required to notify local authorities whenever they suspect a patient has the virus. "Rapid diagnosis and reporting are crucial to preventing transmission and restricting any further spread of monkeypox," Wendi Shepherd, monkeypox incident director at UKHSA, stated. According to Reuters, "this new legislation will assist us as well as our health partners in quickly identifying, treating, and controlling the condition."
2. Due to a large outbreak of monkeypox in the UK, the country's reporting requirements are being tightened. According to Bloomberg, the country is speeding up data collecting and processing, which will aid officials in detecting dangerous outbreaks and tracing contacts quickly, and providing immunizations when necessary.
3. Canada has issued a travel warning for monkeypox, encouraging travelers from more than two dozen countries, such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, to take precautions. In its level 2 alert, Canada also warned of possible delays in people returning home if they became unwell.
4. To reduce "confusion" over the disease, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has withdrawn a mask suggestion from its monkeypox travel warning. Previously, the FDA advised travelers to wear a mask to protect themselves from "various infections, including monkeypox."
5. On Tuesday, a five-year-old boy from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, suspected of having monkeypox, tested negative. After the child complained of itching and rashes all over his body, the sample was sent for testing.