Patients with monkeypox should avoid pet rodents for three weeks
Key Takeaways:
- Monkeypox patients in the United Kingdom have been warned to stay away from pet rats in their homes for at least three weeks, according to health officials.
- In Europe's sex clinics, numerous incidents have been documented. The virus, which was first discovered in monkeys, has already spread across the United States and Europe.
Health officials in the United Kingdom have advised monkeypox patients to stay away from pet rodents in their homes for at least three weeks. Although monkeypox was thought to be confined to African countries, the country has registered over 100 persons afflicted with the virus this month. The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed concern on Friday about community spread.
"Based on current evidence, temporary disposal from the household for a limited quarantine period (21 days) as well as testing to exclude infection is recommended for pet rodents in households in which there are infected people, particularly of which there are infected individual contacts who have had close direct and also prolonged contact with the animal or its bedding and/or litter," according to a statement on the UK government's website. "Adequate risk management should be created for laboratory employees handling samples, as well as veterinarians and animal health specialists handling or collecting samples from pets."
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed that since May 7, it had registered 101 occurrences. "The danger to the UK population stays low," the UKHSA stated, "but we are advising people to be aware of any new rashes or lesions that occur as patches, ulcers, or blisters on any part of their body."
"While this advice applies to everybody, most instances identified to date have been among males who are gay, bisexual, or have sex with men. Therefore we are advising these people specifically to be aware of the symptoms, especially if they have just had a new sexual partner," it stated.
Many cases have been documented in Europe's sex clinics. The virus, first discovered in monkeys, has already spread throughout the US and Europe.
The WHO has expressed alarm over the development of the disease in non-endemic nations, describing it as "very rare."