Home UK Monkeypox diagnosed in healthcare worker at Blackpool hospital

Monkeypox diagnosed in healthcare worker at Blackpool hospital

September 26, 2018

348

A third person has been diagnosed with monkeypox, Public Health England (PHE) said.

The individual is a healthcare worker who treated a patient at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in September, before their infection was diagnosed.

Dr Nick Phin, deputy director of the national infection service at PHE, said the case was not wholly unexpected.

According to the World Health Organisation monkeypox is similar to human smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980.

Monkeypox, A Member Of The Orthopox Family Of Viruses, Is An Infection Accidentally Transmitted To Humans Due To Its Similarity To The Smallpox Virus. Although Animals Infected With Monkeypox Exhibit No Symptoms, Infected Humans Manifest High Fever Accompanied By Headaches, Cervical And Inguinal Adenopathy, And Cutaneous Lesions That Are Similar To Those That Characterize A Smallpox Infection. As With Smallpox, No Effective Medical Treatment Has Been Identified. Here, The Arms And Legs Of A 4 Year Old Girl Infected With Monkeypox. Bondua, Grand Gedeh County, Liberia. (Photo By BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images) — The first ever UK case of monkeypox has been discovered in Cornwall (File picture: Getty)

The disease is zoonotic, which means it normally exists in animals but can also be transferred to humans.

Woman 'wore false baby bump after lying that she had been raped by her ex'

In the case of monkeypox, the disease is mostly transmitted to people from animals such as rodents and primates.

The infection primarily occurs in remote parts of central and west Africa, near tropical rainforests.

In a case found in Cornwall, the person is believed to have contracted the infection in Nigeria before travelling to the UK.

What are the symptoms?

UNDATED ? MAY 27: In this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention handout graphic, symptoms of one of the first known cases of the monkeypox virus are shown on a patient?s hand May 27, 2003. The CDC said the viral disease monkeypox, thought to be spread by prairie dogs, has been detected in the Americas for the first time with about 20 cases reported in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. (Photo Courtesy of CDC/Getty Images) — Monkeypox causes a rash that can turn into lesions, blisters or pustules (Picture: Getty)

The early stages of monkeypox can be characterised by a high fever, intense headache, swelling of lymph nodes and aching muscles, say the WHO.

Those infected are also likely to have a lack of energy in the first five days after contracting the disease.

A rash will appear one to three days after the fever, often beginning on the face before spreading elsewhere on the body.

In humans, the signs and symptoms of monkeypox are similar to those of smallpox, but usually milder. People can get monkeypox from an infected animal through a bite or direct contact with the infected animal?s blood, body fluids, or lesions. The disease also can be spread from person to person, but it is much less infectious than smallpox. TEM — In humans, the signs and symptoms of monkeypox are similar to those of smallpox, but usually milder (Picture: Getty)

This rash is then likely to evolve into lesions with flat bases, blisters or pustules, followed by crusts, in approximately 10 days.

The symptoms can be known to last two to three weeks as the virus is a self-limited disease, meaning it is restricted in its duration.

Royal Mail beg recycling campaigners to stop posting crisp packets

Dr Michael Jacobs, clinical director of infection at the Royal Free Hospital, said: Monkeypox is, in most cases, a mild condition which will resolve on its own and have no long-term effects on a persons health.

Most people recover within several weeks.

Is it contagious?

Public Health England states that while monkeypox can be passed on, the disease does not spread easily.

They have contacted 50 people who were in close proximity to the man diagnosed with the disease in Cornwall this week – but say that the risk of infection to the general population is very low.

The virus can be passed on but does not spread easily (Picture: Getty)People without symptoms are not considered infectious but, as a precaution, PHE said in a statement.

Those who have been in close proximity are being contacted to ensure that if they do become unwell they can be treated quickly.

While there are no specific treatments for monkeypox, vaccination against smallpox has proven to be very effective.

Is there cause for concern?

In short, it would look like the answer is no.

The disease is a mild condition which should disappear of its own accord and is unlikely to spread to a wider pool of people.

The entrance to the Royal Free Hospital in London where a British military healthcare worker has been admitted for Ebola monitoring after suffering a needle-stick injury while treating a person in Sierra Leone. — Dr Michael Jacobs says that the disease is most often a mild condition that goes away on its own (Picture: PA)

Dr Michael Jacobs, clinical director of infection at the Royal Free Hospital, confirmed: Monkeypox is, in most cases, a mild condition which will resolve on its own and have no long-term effects on a persons health.

Most people recover within several weeks. It is a rare disease caused by monkeypox virus, and has been reported mainly in central and west African countries.

Man strangled friend's dog to death after angry phone call from boss