Festival season could 'amplify' monkeypox outbreak as nearly 200 cases identified in UK

Some 190 cases of monkeypox have been detected across the UK, officials have said as they confirmed 11 additional cases in England.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that 183 cases have been confirmed in England since May 7.

Meanwhile, four cases have been confirmed in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland and one in Wales.

Figures come just days after the authorities issued UK-wide guidance to stem the spread of the disease.

The new advice urges those with monkeypox to avoid close contact with others until their lesions have healed and any scabs have dried off.

People who have had contact with someone with the disease should also be risk assessed and may be told to isolate themselves for 21 days if necessary.

Health officials have also warned that the outbreak of monkeypox cases in Europe could be “amplified” during the festival season in the summer.

Many of the cases in the current outbreak have been linked to “large events or parties”, according to the European office of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The regional arm of the global health body said Europe is at the “epicentre” of the “largest and most geographically widespread monkeypox outbreak ever reported” outside of western and central Africa.

What are the symptoms of monkeypox?

It usually takes between five and 21 days for the first symptoms of the infection to appear.

The first symptoms of monkeypox include:

• a high temperature

• a headache

• muscle aches

• backache

• swollen glands

• shivering (chills)

• exhaustion

A rash, which often begins on the face before spreading, usually appears one to five days after the first symptoms.