Eleven new cases of monkeypox have been reported in the UK, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 20. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urgently looking for the source of the outbreak.
The first case in the current outbreak was confirmed on May 6. But this is not the first time monkeypox has been reported in the UK. Three cases were also reported in 2021 and one in 2018. However, these infections are rarely seen in the UK and are overwhelmingly linked to international travel from endemic areas, including parts of west and central Africa.
On May 18 five cases of monkeypox were reported in Portugal, with investigations into 20 further suspected cases. On the same day, the Spanish health authorities reported eight suspected cases in men who have sex with men.
