DOCTORS who come across monkeypox patients will now have to inform local councils and health protection services.
As more cases of the illness are identified, new legislation will come into play tomorrow to help curb the spread.
It means that monkeypox will be designated a notifiable disease under the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010.
Other illnesses that also fall under this legislation include Covid-19, the Plague, acute meningitis, measles and smallpox.
Labs must also inform the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) if a case is detected in samples.
If monkeypox is suspected, medics must tell the correct authorities within three days or within 24 hours for urgent cases.
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Wendi Shepherd, Monkeypox incident director at UKHSA, said: “Rapid diagnosis and reporting is the key to interrupting transmission and containing any further spread of Monkeypox.
"This new legislation will support us and our health partners to swiftly identify, treat and control the disease.
“It also supports us with the swift collection and analysis of data which enables us to detect possible outbreaks of the disease and trace close contacts rapidly, whilst offering vaccinations where appropriate to limit onward transmission.”
Yesterday a further 73 cases of the infection were detected, bringing the total in the UK to 301.
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Most cases of monkeypox are in England (287), followed by Scotland (10), Wales (three) and Northern Ireland (two).
Experts at the UKHSA said they will update Brits every three days on the growing spread.
The current outbreak is unusual because the virus is typically only found in parts of Africa.
But it has spread globally in recent weeks, with health experts investigating key chains of transmission.
Anyone can get monkeypox, but most cases have been seen in gay men, bisexual men, or other men who have sex with men.
Despite this, experts say there is not one singular clear risk factor for picking up the virus.
The signs of monkeypox you need to know
Experts at the UK Health Security Agency have said all Brits should be on the look out for key signs and symptoms.
The signs may include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Backache
- Chills
- Exhaustion
- Night sweats
- Cold-like symptoms, such as congestion and runny nose
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Swollen groin
- Rash
Medics said that complications of the illness were documented as:
- low mood
- severe pain
- conjunctivitis
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said cases may be more prevalent among people in the gay community because they are more likely to come forward to sexual health clinics when they have symptoms.
The key symptoms of monkeypox include a flu-like illness of fever, chills, and muscle aches, followed by a chickenpox-like rash.
The rash develops into painful blisters before scabbing – and a person is infectious until their scabs have fallen off.
The UKHSA said people should contact a sexual health clinic if they have a blistered rash and have been in close contact with someone who might have monkeypox within the past three weeks.
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