UK designates monkeypox as notifiable disease, Canada issues advisory

The United Kingdom has the largest identified cases of the monkeypox after Africa, with more than 300 confirmed cases, a month after the outbreak began.

So far, over 700 cases of the virus have been detected, with several more suspected cases in over 20 countries across the world. The virus is known to spread when there is close contact with an infected person, as per the World Health Organization (WHO).

Here are the latest updates on the monkeypox outbreak:

1. The UK health security agency has designated monkeypox as a ‘notifiable infectious disease’, as more than 300 cases of the disease have been detected in the country. With the designation of the disease, doctors in England will have to notify local authorities when they suspect a patient to have the virus. Wendi Shepherd, monkeypox incident director at UKHSA in a statement said, “Rapid diagnosis and reporting is the key to interrupting transmission and containing any further spread of monkeypox. This new legislation will support us and our health partners to swiftly identify, treat and control the disease,” as quoted by the news agency Reuters.

2. The UK is stepping up its monkeypox reporting requirement as it is dealing with a massive outbreak. The country is speeding the collection and analysis of data, helping officials detect possible outbreaks and trace contacts rapidly, while offering vaccinations when needed, reported Bloomberg.

3. Canada has issued a monkeypox-related travel notice – advising travellers of over two dozen countries – including Australia, Britain, and the United States – to take precautions. Canada, in its level 2 notice, has also warned of potential delays returning home if the passengers fell ill.

4. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that it has removed a mask recommendation from its monkeypox travel notice to avoid “confusion” over the disease. Earlier, the agency had suggested that travellers should wear a mask as it can help protect against “many diseases, including monkeypox”.

5. A five-year-old from Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, who was suspected to have been infected with monkeypox, tested negative on Tuesday. The sample was sent for testing after the child had complained of itching and rashes on the body.