Monkeypox to be listed as notifiable disease in UK

By Karim El-Bar

LONDON (AA) - The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced Tuesday that monkeypox will be listed as a notifiable disease in England starting June 8.

It means doctors will have to notify their local council if they suspect a patient has monkeypox and labs will have to notify the UKHSA if they identify the virus in a lab sample.

"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,” said Wendi Shepherd, the monkeypox incident director at the UKHSA. "It also supports us with the swift collection and analysis of data which enables us to detect possible outbreaks of the disease and trace close contacts rapidly, whilst offering vaccinations where appropriate to limit onward transmission."

The UKHSA has insisted that the risk of monkeypox to the general population “remains low” because the virus does not spread easily and only through close physical contact.

There were 302 confirmed cases Monday in the UK.