Two more cases of monkeypox were discovered today in the United Kingdom – scientists are still not closer to understanding what caused the mysterious epidemic.
Health officials have confirmed that the last infected Britons, one in London and the other in the South East, have no connection to other cases or are traveling to countries where the virus is endemic.
Nine Britons have already been diagnosed with the tropical virus since the first patient was spotted on May 6. But experts fear that dozens may have already caught him.
All but one patient, the first to arrive from Nigeria, appear to have been infected in the United Kingdom.
Most of them are gay or bisexual men, and officials say the model of the show is “highly conducive to sexuality.”
Monkeypox has already been spotted in Portugal and Spain.
Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UK’s Health Security Agency, said recent cases, along with infections reported across Europe, confirmed fears it could spread to the community.
Today, MailOnline revealed that Britons who have been in close contact with cases of monkeypox are receiving a vaccine off the label.
They are offered a stroke that was approved in 2013 to prevent smallpox, which is part of the same family of viruses and is genetically very similar.
There are no specific drugs or vaccines in the UK licensed for smallpox, which leaves doctors with limited options for prevention or treatment.
Britons who have been in close contact with monkeypox cases receive off-label vaccine known as Imvanex (file)
Seven Britons have been diagnosed with monkeypox, and six appear to have contracted it in the UK – a sign that the virus is spreading in the community. The seventh patient in the United Kingdom brought the virus back from Nigeria, where the disease is widespread. At least three patients are being cared for in NHS’s specialist wards in London and Newcastle
Dr Hopkins said: “These recent cases, together with case reports across countries across Europe, confirm our initial fears that there may be an outbreak of monkeypox in our communities.
“UKHSA has been quick to identify cases so far, and we continue to rapidly investigate the source of these infections and raise awareness among health professionals.
“We especially urge men who are gay and bisexual to be aware of any unusual rashes or lesions and to contact the sexual health service immediately if they have any concerns. Please contact clinics before visiting.
“We contact all established close contacts of the cases to provide health information and advice.”
This comes when MailOnline revealed today that the Imvanex vaccine “based on their risk factor” is being offered to close contacts with cases of monkeypox.
Sources said the strike has been used in this way since 2018, when a small number of cases were found with links to travel to Africa.
The strategy is being implemented again now that the virus appears to be spreading to the community for the first time.
Studies show that Imvanex – known as Jynneos in the United States – is about 85% effective in preventing monkeypox infection.
The United States and the European Union have approved Imvanex specifically as a preventive measure for monkeypox, unlike in the United Kingdom, where it is only approved for smallpox.
This means that, in theory, it is more difficult for doctors in the UK to prescribe it to patients, as an ‘off label’ has to be used and doctors can be held responsible for negative side effects.
Professor Hunter said “it will probably be easier to catch if approved” for monkeypox, especially if the cases go up and more doses are needed.
Health officials did not say how many people were hit by Imvanex.
But studies during Covid show that people have an average of between three and 10 close contacts, which means dozens of Britons may have already received it.
A spokesman for the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) told MailOnline: “There is no approved vaccine or monkeypox medicine in the UK.”
But they added: “We are closely monitoring the situation and working with companies to quickly offer appropriate treatments for monkeypox.”
But the vaccine itself can cause unpleasant side effects in some people, including worsening the symptoms of eczema, according to Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia.
“So this is not something we would give unless we have good reasons,” he added.
Monkeypox is a rare viral infection that kills up to one in ten of those infected, but does not spread easily among humans. Tropical disease is endemic in parts of Africa and is known for its rare and unusual rashes, bumps and lesions (photo file)
Nurses and doctors are advised to be “vigilant” for patients who have a new rash or scabies lesion (as above)
Monkeypox strikes Europe: Five men in Portugal test positive while Spain investigates eight suspected male cases
Monkeypox has already been spotted in Portugal and Spain, which could be the first global outbreak of the rare disease.
Spain is monitoring eight men it believes to be infected, and tests are being carried out to confirm they have the virus.
All the men are gay or bisexual, according to local media, and most were found in STI clinics in Madrid.
Five men in Portugal have also tested positive and at least 15 more cases are being investigated, health officials said today.
All of these cases are men and mostly “young” – but it is not yet clear how they caught the virus.
Until now, cases of monkeypox have been limited to travelers and their relatives returning from West and Central Africa, where the virus is endemic.
But experts now fear it is spreading more widely for the first time since seven Britons were diagnosed in the past two weeks.
Six of them appear to have been infected in the UK and the majority are unrelated, suggesting that more cases remain undetected. Health chiefs are trying to find the source of the cases.
Four of Britain’s patients are gay or bisexual, and officials say the transmission model is “highly suggestive of sexuality.”
Dr Simon Clark, a microbiologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline that he suspected that the number of cases in the UK was already “dozens”.
But he insisted the disease would not spread like Covid, adding: “I would be surprised if we ever get to more than 100 cases [in Britain]’.
Imvanex contains a modified form of the vaccinia virus, which is similar to the family of viruses that cause smallpox and smallpox, but do not cause disease in humans.
Due to their resemblance to measles viruses, antibodies produced against this virus have cross-protection.
There are several other smallpox vaccines that are thought to treat monkeypox, but they have been less studied.
Doctors in the United Kingdom also have the authority to use antiviral drugs for smallpox off the label to treat monkeypox.
This comes after Portugal and Spain announced that they had discovered cases of monkeypox, which could be the first global outbreak of the disease.
Spain is monitoring eight men it believes to be infected, and tests are being carried out to confirm they have the virus.
All the men are gay or bisexual, according to local media, and most were found in STI clinics in Madrid.
Five men in Portugal have also tested positive and at least 15 more cases are being investigated, health officials said today.
All of these cases are men and mostly “young” – but it is not yet clear how they caught the virus.
Until now, cases of monkeypox have been limited to travelers and their relatives returning from West and Central Africa, where the virus is endemic.
But experts now fear it is spreading for the first time.
Dr Simon Clark, a microbiologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline that he suspected that the number of cases in the UK was already “dozens”.
But he insisted the disease would not spread like Covid, adding: “I would be surprised if we ever get to more than 100 cases [in Britain]’.
Health experts investigating a new outbreak of monkeypox in Britain believe the virus could be sexually transmitted among humans for the first time.
It was thought that smallpox could only be transmitted through close contact with such body fluids, respiratory droplets and lesions.
But a UKHSA expert said recent cases in the UK “appear to have been contracted through sexual contact”.
Dr Mateo Prohazka, who leads the UKHSA team investigating monkeypox, described the show as “new”.
Nine people have been diagnosed with the virus in England in the last two weeks, six of them in London.
At least four are gay or bisexual men, and only one has recent connections to travel to a country where the virus is endemic, which “strongly suggests” the spread of “sexual networks,” Dr. Prohazka added.
Writing on Twitter before the last two cases were confirmed, he said: “Transmission is not easy, but it can happen from person to person through direct contact with lesions or respiratory secretions.
“The closer and longer the contact, the more likely it is to be transmitted.
“Close contact between two people (such as during sex) could also facilitate the transmission – but this has never been described before.
“However, the high proportion of cases in the current epidemic in England that are gay or bisexual (4/7, 57%) strongly suggests the spread of sexual networks.
This is suggested by the fact that common contacts have been identified in only 2 of the last 4 cases. “Dr Prohazka continued:” Finding cases of smallpox that have no travel links is rare and involves imports followed by some degree of transmission from the community.
“This situation is being assessed quickly.
“Even stranger is the discovery of cases that appear to have acquired the infection through sexual contact – this is a new route of transmission that will have implications for the reaction and control of the outbreak.”
Sexual health services are now working to identify more cases, to control …
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