UKHSA Monkey Pox Cascade Alert
Written by AlisonFreemantle on Friday 16th August 2024
Current worldwide outbreak is the more deadly Clade 1 version
Be aware of risk factors and what Monkey Pox looks like.
It causes flu-like symptoms, skin lesions and can be fatal, with four in 100 cases leading to death.
Consider Monkey Pox if a patient has recently (within last month) travelled to/from countries in Central and East Africa.
If you suspect any patient has Monkey Pox, they should be advised to go home and isolate and phone their GP surgery.
Background
Since the start of the year, there have been more than 13,700 cases of mpox in the DR Congo, with at least 450 deaths.
Infection with Clade I MPVX has been reported to cause more severe mpox disease with a higher case fatality rate. Between 25 July and 5 August 2024, confirmed Clade I MPXV cases have been reported from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda for the first time, which has expanded the geographical footprint of Clade I MPXV in the African Region.