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Update: Four men have been infected with monkeypox in London

This rare bug is spread by close contact

Alice Saville
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Alice Saville
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Remember when everyone was an armchair epidemiologist? Remember the thrilling feeling of being glued to all the latest stats? Of scrutinising complex graphs with chin-stroking smugness? Yeah, look, 2020 was a weird time for us all. But if it’s left you with a residual interest in the human body’s infinite ability to harbour unsavoury diseases, then you’ll be intrigued by the newest ailment to hit London: monkeypox.

The outbreak began last week, when a patient infected with monkeypox was placed in isolation in a specialist unit at St Thomas’ Hospital, after returning from a trip to Nigeria, where the disease is endemic in animals. Now, four men have been infected in London, and the UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is investigating how they caught the disease, and whether their cases are related to each other. The men all identify as gay or bisexual, and the UKHSA is encouraging gay and bisexual men in particular to look out for any unusual rashes or lesions.

Monkeypox begins with a fever, muscle aches, headache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion, before the appearance of a rash that starts on the face or genitals then spreads to other parts of the body. But before you start to panic, remember that the UKHSA has reassured the public that the bug doesn’t spread easily between people unless there's extremely close contact. It’s also fairly mild: thankfully, most people recover within a few weeks. 

Monkeypox was first identified in 1958, in a population of monkeys kept captive for research, and is a milder relative of the now-eradicated smallpox. Most cases have been found in west or central Africa, where it’s spread to humans by infected animals such as mice, rats and squirrels. Human-to-human transmission is very uncommon, but it can be spread by coughs, sneezes, or coming into contact with monkeypox blisters or scabs.

So if you’ve got any awful social engagements you’d like to get out of over the coming weeks, consider pleading a case of monkeypox – London's newest and most exclusive viral complaint.  

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