Monkeypox has been made a notifiable disease in England, effective from Wednesday, meaning doctors and laboratories will be legally required to alert authorities if they identify a suspected case.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Tuesday that doctors will have to notify their local council or local health protection team if they suspect someone has the disease. Labs will also have to notify the UKHSA if the monkeypox virus is detected in a sample.
Monkeypox, a disease that is endemic in parts of Africa, has recently appeared in around 30 countries where it is not endemic.
Since May 7, at least 911 confirmed or suspected cases have been reported from Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, and Australia, with 302 confirmed cases in the UK….