Monkeypox can leave significant scarring on the body but will not become the next pandemic, according to experts. The UK's first case of the year came two weeks ago and the country's figure has since reached 20.
The infection is most common in remote parts of Central and West Africa, but the World Health Organisation says "more than 80" recent cases of the disease have been recorded in at least 12 countries. The NHS says infections — which can be transmitted through sexual contact — are usually mild and most people recover in a few weeks.
But experts have also warned of the impact monkeypox can have on the body. Dr Phil Whitaker, a GP in Somerset, wrote in the New Statesman: "Affected individuals will, after an incubation period of up to three weeks, develop a flu-like syndrome with fever, muscle aches and gland swelling. After a few days a rash evolves with tiny blisters called vesicles, typically starting on the head and spreading down the body. Just like chickenpox, these can leave scars once healed."
