The total number of confirmed cases of monkeypox in the UK has risen to 20, with 11 new cases having been reported. The first case in the current outbreak was confirmed on May 6 and now the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urgently looking for the source of the outbreak.
However, this is not the first time monkeypox has been reported in the UK, with three cases also reported in 2021 and another in 2018. 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.
