New Virus: Monkeypox detected in the UK: What you need to know

Picture Courtesy: Nottingham Post

1. The world is currently battling the Coronavirus, but another new virus has come to the fore in Britain. The name of the virus is monkeypox. In north Wales, UK, monkeypox has been confirmed in 2 people of the same family, officials say that the risk of exposure to the general public is low. Health officials have also claimed that the virus came to Britain from abroad.

2. As per a report in ‘the week’, Public Health Wales says that both people are believed to have been infected outside the UK, although contract tracing has started after cases emerged.

3. According to WHO, monkeypox is an infectious disease spread from animals to humans. It has spread in central and west African countries and also spread to other parts of the world.

4. This disease can be spread by direct contact with an infected animal. This disease also has symptoms similar to smallpox, in this disease symptoms like fever, headache, back pain, muscle stiffness, and weakness are seen.

5. According to the UK's National Health Service, from the first to the fifth day, the rashes start appearing in the body, initially, it comes on the face and then gradually spreads throughout the body. In the end, these rashes fall off like a scab.

6. The good thing is that the vaccine that protects against smallpox is also effective against monkeypox. Monkeypox was first identified in the African country Congo in 1970, after that in 2003, the disease spreads to many countries around the world including America.