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Eleven more people in England have been diagnosed with monkeypox, bringing the cumulative number of UK cases to 207.
Announcing the new patients today, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reiterated that most cases have been in gay and bisexual men.
Officials said it was ‘particularly important’ these men are aware of new lesions, rashes or scabs and get in contact with a sexual health clinic.
The new cases bring the total number confirmed in England to 199, while there have been five in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland and one in Wales.
Scientists are still unsure what is driving the current outbreak, now spotted in two dozen countries, given the virus is normally confined to people returning from Africa.
In a report published last night, the UKHSA revealed the UK’s cluster of cases are linked to gay bars, saunas and dating apps.
More than 60 per cent of domestic infections have been among gay and bisexual men, with more than 86 per cent based in the epicentre London. Only two cases have been women.
Most of the UK’s infections — 87 per cent — were among people aged 20 to 49. And 111 cases are known to be men who have sex with men.
And the majority UK patients caught the virus in the UK rather than abroad.
Officials said that contact tracing teams had linked the outbreak back to ‘gay bars, saunas and the use of dating apps in the UK and abroad’.
MailOnline revealed last week the world’s biggest gay dating app Grindr had alerted to users of monkeypox symptoms.
In total, there have been 617 confirmed cases of monkeypox across the globe, with 129 more suspected since the first infection was found at the start of May.
Behind the UK, Spain (156), Portugal (138) and Canada (54) have logged the highest number of confirmed cases.
Officials are urging gay and bisexual men to be aware of new lesions, rashes or scabs and get in contact with a sexual health clinic
The infection often starts with small bumps that scab over and are contagious
In a report released on Wednesday night, the UKHSA released its first analysis, covering the country’s first 153 cases.
By May 31, 132 of the 153 cases in England were among London residents (86 per cent).
Only a fifth of cases had travelled from a European country in the past three weeks, suggesting the vast majority picked up the virus in the UK.
The report states: ‘Investigations to date have identified links to gay bars, saunas and the use of dating apps in the UK and abroad.
‘Investigations continue but currently no single factor or exposure that links the cases has been identified.’
MailOnline revealed that Grindr issued a warning to its users across Europe last Monday, advising them to contact their sexual health provider if they or any recent sexual partners have unusual sores or rashes.
UKHSA is working with the app as well as the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) and the British HIV Association to communicate health risks to gay and bisexual men.
The current outbreak has been linked to several super-spreader events, including a gay pride festival in Gran Canaria on May 5-15, a fetish festival in Belgium on May 5-8 and a ‘sauna’ in Spain.
It comes as amid concern among health experts that monkeypox could be transmitted to animals via human medical waste.
As the virus circulates outside of Africa, there is an opportunity for spill back into animal populations, which could potentially make the virus endemic in countries beyond Africa.
Dr William Karesh, president of the World Organization for Animal Health told a conference today: ‘As we’ve seen with COVID-19, one thing that comes up is… disposable human medical waste because we are concerned about rodents picking this up.’
‘Like a rural local clinic that’s putting their waste outside until it’s disposed of properly later in the week,’ he added.
Countries in Africa have experienced sporadic monkeypox outbreaks since the virus was first discovered in humans in 1970. In Nigeria, there has been an ongoing outbreak since 2017.
The virus was discovered in laboratory monkeys in 1958, and since then various animal species including squirrels and rats have been identified as susceptible to it.
It is understood to have jumped to humans from the animals it which it circulates, but which species are implicated in the spillover remains unclear, Dr Karesh said.
In the UK, pet rodents of people infected with monkeypox are being isolated as part of efforts to contain the disease.
These include pet hamsters, rats and rabbits.
Teams from the UKHSA are also contacting high-risk contacts of confirmed cases and advising them to self-isolate at home for three weeks and avoid contact with children.
Both confirmed cases and close contacts are being offered the Imvanex vaccine to form a buffer of immune people around a confirmed case to limit the spread of the disease.
The strategy, known as ring vaccination, has been used in previous monkeypox outbreaks and is also being carried out in some EU countries.
Professor Kevin Fenton, London regional director for public health said: ‘Monkeypox can affect anyone but we know that many of the most recent diagnoses are in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, many of whom live in, or have links to London.
‘We’re reminding everyone of the symptoms of monkeypox, and especially gay and bisexual men in particular, to be especially aware and seek advice immediately by calling NHS 111 or their local sexual health clinic if they have concerns.
‘As with any new disease outbreak, the risk of stigma and uncertainty is great.
‘This is why we’re working side by side with the NHS, sexual health, voluntary and community sector organisations in London to share accurate information about monkeypox especially to people and groups at increased risk through representative voices.’
