The health authorities in the United Kingdom are investigating four more cases of a rare viral monkeypox disease that have been found in England, bringing the total number of confirmed cases since May 6 to seven.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) stated investigations are underway to determine if the latest four cases, which seem to have been affected in London but have no confirmed links to the other three, are linked.
The latest four infection cases have no relation to travel to a nation where monkeypox is endemic, and the exact location and method of infection, as well as whether they are linked to one another, are still being investigated, according to the agency.
Monkeypox is an uncommon viral virus that is difficult to spread among people. Most patients recover within a few weeks from this moderate self-limiting sickness. Severe illness, on the other hand, can affect some individuals.
According to the UKHSA, all four of the cases reported identify as gay, bisexual, or other males who have sex with men. They have the West African strain of the virus, which is milder than the Central African strain, according to the report.
In a statement, UKHSA chief medical officer Susan Hopkins remarked, “This is unique and unusual.”
She added the agency is advising homosexual and bisexual men to be aware of any strange rashes or lesions and to seek medical advice.
