The British Health Security Agency announced on Saturday the first detection of a monkeypox virus infection in England. The agency stated in a press release on the UK government's website that the patient recently visited Nigeria, where it is believed they contracted the virus before returning to Britain. The agency added that the patient is receiving necessary medical care at the infectious diseases unit of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, part of the UK's National Health Service in London.
The agency highlighted that it is in contact with everyone who recently had direct interactions with the patient as a precautionary measure to prevent further transmission of the infection and to provide them with information about the disease. This includes several passengers who traveled with the patient on the same flight to Britain.
The agency explained that monkeypox is a rare viral infection that does not easily spread between humans, and its symptoms are typically mild, resolving on their own, with most people recovering within a few weeks. However, it can sometimes lead to severe illness in some patients. The World Health Organization recognizes monkeypox as "a rare disease that primarily occurs in remote areas of central and western Africa near tropical rainforest."
The monkeypox virus is transmitted to humans from a variety of wild animals, but secondary transmission between humans is limited. The case fatality rate for monkeypox outbreaks usually ranges from 1% to 10%, primarily affecting younger individuals. There is currently no treatment or vaccine available to combat the disease, although vaccination against smallpox has proven highly effective in providing protection against monkeypox as well.
**Origin of the Disease**
Monkeypox is a rare zoonotic viral disease, and its symptoms in humans resemble those previously seen in patients infected with smallpox, though it is less severe. It was first identified among humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in a 9-year-old boy living in an area where smallpox had been eradicated in 1968. Since then, most cases have been reported in rural areas of the rainforest of the Congo Basin and West Africa. The first cases of the disease outside Africa were recorded in 2003 in the Midwest region of the United States.
