Monkeypox, a rare tropical disease spread by wild animals in West Africa, has unexpectedly spread abroad over the last two months, posing questions about what precisely it is and how dangerous it might be.
As of 8 August, there are 2,914 confirmed and 103 highly probable monkeypox cases in the UK: 3,017 in total. Of these, 2,883 are in England. A relatively mild viral infection, the disease has a six-to-16 day incubation period and sees patients first suffer fever, headaches, swellings, back pain, aching muscles and a general listlessness in its opening stages.
