A viral disease returns from Africa that we thought had been completely eradicated in all its forms in 1980. Yet, doctors have come to terms with a very bitter discovery.
Upon returning from Africa, a tourist began to have strange symptoms not attributable to a normal fever. Once he arrived at the hospital, the doctors came to terms with a very bitter discovery. The patient was suffering from monkeypox. This is a very rare case in the United Kingdom, announced through a health warning issued to the entire English population.
The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) confirmed on Saturday that a patient, returning from Nigeria, was under observation in hospital due to the rare viral disease. UKHSA and the National Health Service are now working together to track down anyone who has had enough contact with the man to be infected.
Smallpox comes from remote areas of central and western Africa. The people who became infected at the time were the ones who handled monkeys, giant Gambian rats and squirrels, themselves already sick. And eating an infected animal, without first cooking it properly, also puts humans at risk of contagion.
Horrible symptoms of monkeypox include a rash that spreads to the face and body, as well as fever, headache, nervous breakdown, chills, swollen lymph nodes and various pains such as muscle pain that also induce fatigue. Doctors also explained how the rash can take about five days to develop and then form a scab on the surface of the blisters.
The situation in the UK
The doctors at Guy’s Hospital in London are treating the patient. This is a very rare case for the UK: it is the sixth time that doctors with a case of monkeypox – or also known as Monkeypox – in the UK.
As reported by the ‘Daily Star’, Dr Colin Brown from UKHSA reassured British citizens, explaining to them that the danger of contagion is really minimal. However, passengers on the plane close to the man should go to the hospital for a checkup. Infection, in fact, is transmitted by being in contact with the infected person.
“It is important to point out that monkeypox does not spread easily among people and the overall risk to people in general is very low,” said the director of infectious and emerging diseases, as reported by the Daily Star. “We are working with NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) to get in touch with all the people who have met the man before the presence of monkeypox was confirmed. If necessary, we will evaluate their climbing conditions and advise them in the best possible way “.
Also in the article in the English newspaper we read that the dottor Brown stated that: “UKHSA and NHS have well established and robust infection control procedures to deal with cases of imported infectious diseases and these will be strictly followed.”
Last year, for example, it was confirmed that two patients in North Wales were infected with monkeypox and beyond. 50 British were previously warned in 2018 that they had been exposed to the disease.