Monkey Pox
Principles for monkeypox control in the UK:
UKHSA has advised that cases of monkeypox have increased recently but the risk to the UK population remains low. UKHSA has confirmed that community transmission is occurring in the UK with multiple generations of spread. Illness appears to be generally mild, consistent with other information about the West African clade.
A letter has been sent to NHS organisations outlining the response.
Anyone can get monkeypox. Currently most cases have been in men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with men, so it’s particularly important for these people to be aware of the symptoms.
If you get infected with monkeypox, it usually takes between 5 and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear.
The first symptoms of monkeypox include:
- a high temperature
- a headache
- muscle aches
- backache
- swollen glands
- shivering (chills)
- exhaustion
A rash usually appears 1 to 5 days after the first symptoms. The rash often begins on the face, then spreads to other parts of the body. This can include the genitals.
The rash is sometimes confused with chickenpox. It starts as raised spots, which turn into small blisters filled with fluid. These blisters eventually form scabs which later fall off.
The symptoms usually clear up in a few weeks.
Patients should contact a sexual health clinic if they have a rash with blisters and either:
· have been in close contact, including sexual contact, with someone who has or might have monkeypox (even if they’ve not been tested yet) in the past 3 weeks
· have been to west or central Africa in the past 3 weeks.
Patients who meet these criteria should be assessed and tested in line with UKHSA guidance. If patients are not able to contact a sexual health clinic they should call 111. Additional information for patients is available on nhs.uk.
