A second person has been diagnosed with monkeypox in the UK.
Public Health England said it was contacting people who may have come into contact with the latest victim to give them health advice.
Both patients had been in Nigeria, where they are believed to have caught the infection. There are no links between the two people.
Dr Nick Phin, deputy director of the body’s national infection service, said: “We know that in September 2017, Nigeria experienced a large sustained outbreak of monkeypox, and since then sporadic cases have continued to be reported. It is likely that monkeypox continues to circulate in Nigeria and could, therefore, affect travellers who are returning from this part of the world.
“However, it is very unusual to see two cases in such a relatively short space of time. We are working hard to contact individuals, including healthcare workers that might have come into contact with the individual to provide information and health advice.”
Monkeypox is a rare viral infection. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.
Most people recover within a few weeks. However, severe illness can occur in some individuals.
The infection can be spread when someone is in close contact with an infected person. But there is a very low risk of transmission to the general population.
