As the number of monkeypox cases in the UK rose to 71 on Tuesday, a report has revealed that people afflicted by the viral disease may actually be infectious long after their scabs and rashes have healed.
A study published by the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal has poured cold water on the theory that monkeypox patients are no longer contagious once their lesions have disappeared.
The Lancet report looked at seven people who had monkeypox – a close relative of the smallpox virus – in Britain between 2018 and 2021, with all cases linked to Africa.
