Monkeypox 20th May 2022 (updated 12th June 2022)
There have been multiple reports of Monkeypox in countries across the world including Portugal & Spain, UK , USA and Australia.
The World Health Organisation says on it's website today that there are about 80 confirmed cases across 11Countries. WHO is working with affected Counties to expand surveillance. It is an evolving situation .
The NHS site says that monkeypox is a rare disease. A rash usually appears 1 to 5 days after infection and is sometimes confused with chicken pox. It can be caught from body fluids, or eating meat of an infected animal or from touching clothing or bedding of an infected person. The disease is considered mild and recovery usually in 2 to 4 weeks.
An initiative for a new pandemic treaty was proposed in March 2021 and is coming up for review, Some cynics are suggesting that it would be useful for another pandemic to occur so as to encourage leaders of countries to sign up to it. The treaty would give WHO powers to initiate society responses (lockdowns for your own good).
House of commons library comments on it .
Next public hearing of this treatymatter by WHO is on 16th -17th June 2022.
See also this blog: https://eastsuffolk.blogspot.com/2022/05/who-pandemic-treaty.html
Update 12th June 2022
With effect from 8th June 2022, Monkey Pox became a notifiable disease. The UK HSA also said in their news release that as at 10th June there had been a steady rise of a small number of cases and it now stands at 348 cases.
The WHO says that there are 1285 confirmed cases worldwide across 28 countries.
On 7th May 2022 theUK health security agency has reported a single case of monkey pox. This is a rare viral infection which was first discovered in monkeys in 1958 and with the first human case in the 1970's. This case involves a person who recently travelled from Nigeria which is an area where the virus sometimes occurs.The Government website says that the disease can be caught by close contact with an infected person and is therefore not considered easily transmissable. Symptoms sometimes include chills and a face rash and exhaustion. The disease is usually mild and usually clears up in a few weeks.