On May 7, UK health authorities announced WHO of the confirmed case in an individual who recently returned home from Nigeria.
Monkey smallpox is a viral disease caused mainly in the tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa. It is sometimes exported to other regions.
Transmission methods
The monkeypox virus is mainly transmitted to humans from wild animals such as rodents and primates, although human-to-human transmission also occurs.
This disease is usually manifested by fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.
Exposure to live and dead animals – for example through hunting and consumption of game or bushmeat – are known risk factors.
UN News / Omar Musni
Palace of Westminster and central London, seen from across the River Thames.
Extended contact tracing
The WHO said the case traveled to Nigeria at the end of April, stayed in Lagos and Delta states, and developed a rash on April 29.
They returned to the UK on 4 May and went to hospital the same day. When they suspected smallpox in monkeys, they immediately isolated.
Extensive contact tracing has identified exposed persons in the community, healthcare settings, and on international flights. To date, there have been no reports of compatible symptoms.
“As this case was immediately isolated and contact tracing done, the risk of further transmission associated with this case in the UK is minimal. However, as the source of infection in Nigeria has not been identified, there is still a risk of ongoing transmission in the country,” the UN agency said.
No travel or trade restrictions
Nigerian authorities were notified of the incident on May 7.
This individual has not reported contact with anyone with known typhus, or monkeypox, in Nigeria. Details of domestic travel and contacts have also been shared for follow-up as needed.
WHO is not currently recommending any restrictions on travel and trade with Nigeria or the UK, based on the information available at this time.
More about monkeypox
Monkeypox virus belongs to the orthopoxvirus family, which includes smallpox.
It can be transmitted by contact and droplet contact, and the incubation period is usually 6 to 13 days but can be 5 to 21 days.
Symptoms can be mild or severe, and usually resolve on their own within 14 to 21 days. However, the lesions can be very itchy or painful.
There have been seven previously reported cases of monkeypox in the UK, all of which have been linked to a history of travel to or from Nigeria.
Two separate cases were also reported in the United States last year, also imported from Nigeria.
As of September 2017, the West African country continued to report cases of the disease, with 558 suspected cases as of 30 April this year.
This includes 241 confirmed cases, including 8 deaths from the disease.
