Rare monkeypox outbreak in U.K., Europe and U.S.: What is it and should we worry? – By Michaeleen Doucleff (NPR) / May 18, 2022
There’s a monkeypox outbreak in England, Portugal and Spain. The outbreak is quite small – just 36 suspected cases spread across the three countries, including 8 in England and 20 in Portugal. A case in the U.S. has also been reported.
But health officials have little clue where people caught the virus. And there’s concern the virus may be spreading through the community – undetected – and possibly through a new route of transmission.
“This [outbreak] is rare and unusual,” epidemiologist Susan Hopkins, who’s the chief medical adviser of the U.K. Health Security Agency [UKHSA], said in a statement on Monday.
“Exactly where and how they [people] acquired their infections remains under urgent investigation,” the agency said in a statement.
