The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning that more monkeypox virus cases may be reported in the UK.
British health officials are investigating the cause of the outbreak, which has primarily affected London and is now affecting nine people, according to the Xinhua news agency.
“Based on currently available information, infection seems to have been locally acquired in the United Kingdom. The extent of local transmission is unclear at this stage and there is the possibility of identification of further cases,” the WHO added.
On May 6, three cases from the same household were confirmed, followed by four more cases a few days later. Two additional cases were discovered, one in London and one in the South East of England.
“The latest cases bring the total number of monkeypox cases confirmed in England since May 6 to 9, with recent cases predominantly in gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men (MSM),” the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said Wednesday night on its official website.
According to the WHO statement, the four laboratory confirmed cases were reported among people who attended a Sexual Health clinic with a vesicular rash illness in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM).
Monkeypox is a sylvatic zoonosis that causes human infections in forested areas of Central and West Africa. According to the WHO, it is caused by the monkeypox virus, which is a member of the orthopoxvirus family.
A detailed contact tracing investigation is also being conducted for all cases to determine the likely route of acquisition and whether there are any additional chains of transmission within Britain.
“No source of infection has yet been confirmed for either the family or GBMSM clusters,” the WHO said.
According to Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA, the latest cases and reports of cases in countries across Europe confirmed their initial concerns that monkeypox could spread within communities.
“We are contacting any identified close contacts of the cases to provide health information and advice,” said Hopkins.
There have been eight previous cases of monkeypox reported in the UK, all of which have been linked to travel to or from Nigeria.
