So far, the UKHSA has identified links to gay bars, saunas and the use of dating apps in Britain and abroad.
Recent foreign travel to a number of different countries in Europe within 21 days of symptom onset has been reported by 34 confirmed cases or about 18% of the 190 cases of the disease that have been confirmed by the United Kingdom as of May 31. “The current outbreak is the first time that the virus has been passed from person to person in England where travel links to an endemic country have not been identified,” the agency said.Īccording to the UKHSA, the majority of cases in the United Kingdom – 132 – are in London, while 111 cases are known to be in gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men (GBMSM).
Until early May, cases rarely cropped up outside Africa and were typically linked to travel to the continent. The usually mild viral disease, which is endemic in west and central Africa, is understood to spread through close contact. London: Monkeypox appears to be spreading from person to person in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Wednesday (June 1).