Health authorities in Europe, North America, and Australia have begun to investigate an outbreak of monkeypox, raising concerns that a broader outbreak of the viral infection could be underway in the West.
As of writing, monkeypox has been reported in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Among these, Portugal, Spain, and the UK have confirmed the largest number of cases, with the others having confirmed cases only in the single digits.
The CDC has issued a recommendation of “intensive health measures” for the UK, including contact tracing, case searching, and rash-illness surveillance, as well as the isolation of individuals suspected of being infected with the disease….