The Latest Breaking News from UKHSA

Close contacts of monkeypox cases with a high risk of exposure should self-isolate for up to three weeks, according to new guidance from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Guidance introduced in 2018, following the discovery of the UK's first monkeypox cases, state that contacts are assessed on a case-by-case basis, with those at risk urged to avoid the immunocompromised, children under 12 and pregnant women

The virus has swept through Europe in the past fortnight, with 20 cases confirmed in the UK and nine other countries confirming outbreaks

In recent weeks, the disease has been identified in several non-endemic countries in recent weeks, including Britain, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Canada and the United States.