UK Reports Rare Case Of Monkeypox Infection

JAKARTA - A person in the UK has been diagnosed with a rare monkeypox virus suspected of being linked to a trip to West Africa, health authorities said on Saturday 7 May.

The UK Health Safety Board (UKHSA) said in a statement that the person who had recently visited Nigeria was being treated in the serious infectious diseases unit at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London.

"It is important to underline that the monkeypox virus does not spread easily among humans and the overall risk to the general public is very small," said UKHSA director of clinical and infections Colin Brown.

Monkeypox is a rare human smallpox-like viral infection that was eradicated in 1980.

Although monkeypox is much milder than human smallpox and most sufferers recover within a few weeks, rare cases of the disease can be fatal.