Tubes labeled “Positive and negative monkeypox virus” can be seen in this illustration taken on May 23, 2022. [Photo/Agencies]
LONDON – A new law declaring monkeypox a legally identifiable disease came into force in the UK on Wednesday, meaning all doctors in England are required to notify the local council or local health team of any suspected cases of monkeypox.
Laboratories must also notify the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) if the virus is identified in a laboratory sample.
“Rapid diagnosis and reporting are the key to interrupting transmission and limiting any further spread of monkeypox. This new legislation will support us and our health partners in identifying, treating and controlling the disease, “said Wendy Shepard, director of monkeypox incidents at UKHSA. .
Francois Balou, professor of computer systems biology and director of the Institute of Genetics at University College London, said the new law means that “all suspected cases of monkeypox must be reported. This is a sensible change in regulation as it improves monitoring and facilitates contact tracking, although it does not reflect a change in existing restrictive measures. “
In its latest bulletin on Wednesday, UKHSA said it had found 321 cases of monkeypox across the country as of Tuesday, with 305 confirmed cases in England, 11 in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland and three in Wales.
“Anyone can get monkeypox, especially if they have had close contact, including sexual contact with a person with symptoms,” UKHSA said, advising people to contact sexual health clinics if they have a blistering rash and have been in the West or Central Africa. in the last three weeks or you have been in close contact with someone who has or may have had monkeypox in the last three weeks.
David Hayman, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that “turning monkeypox into a notifiable disease means wanting to make sure you have reporting” from all sectors and all parts of the world. National Health Service.
“This suggests that the government wants to focus surveillance on the entire population – not just the risk groups identified so far. This will allow a clear identification of all risk groups and help better understand the epidemiology and prevalence,” Heyman said.
Paul Hunter, an expert in microbiology and infectious disease control, told Xinhua in a recent interview that “monkeypox is not a COVID situation and will never be a COVID situation.”
Hunter said scientists were puzzled because there seemed to be no apparent link between the many cases in the current wave of monkeypox infections.
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