Future Timeline

LONDON (AP) — British health officials have detected another 104 cases of monkeypox in England in what has become the biggest outbreak beyond Africa of the normally rare disease.

The U.K.’s Health Security Agency said Monday there were now 470 cases of monkeypox across the country, with the vast majority in gay or bisexual men. Scientists warn that anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, is susceptible to catching monkeypox if they are in close, physical contact with an infected person or their clothing or bed sheets.

According to U.K. data, 99% of the cases so far have been in men and most are in London.

In May, a leading adviser to the World Health Organization said the monkeypox outbreak in Europe and beyond was likely spread by sex at two recent raves in Spain and Belgium.

wjfox wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 5:22 pm Monkeypox to get a new name, says WHO

Published
42 minutes ago

The World Health Organization says it is working with experts to come up with a new name for monkeypox.

It comes after more than 30 scientists wrote last week about the "urgent need for a non-discriminatory and non-stigmatising" name for the virus and the disease it causes.

Continued reference to the virus as African is both inaccurate and discriminatory, they said.

Some 1,600 cases of the disease have been recorded globally in recent weeks.

[...]

The World Health Organization says it will hold an emergency meeting next week to determine whether to classify the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern - the highest alarm the UN agency can sound.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-61804132

Tue 21 Jun 2022

Vaccines will be offered more widely to people at higher risk of getting monkeypox, in an attempt to help control the unprecedented outbreak in the UK.

Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reveals that up to 20 June there were 793 laboratory-confirmed cases in the UK, up from 574 on 16 June – a 38% rise in just four days.

While anyone can catch the virus as it is spread between humans through close contact, the UKHSA states that most cases have occurred in men who are gay, bisexual, or have sex with men.

Now the UKHSA says it is broadening eligibility for vaccination, saying it will begin offering jabs to some gay and bisexual men at higher risk of exposure to monkeypox, even if they are not a confirmed contact of a case.

Wednesday 22 June 2022

Traces of the polio virus have been found during a routine sewage inspection in London, leading the UK Health Security Agency to declare a national incident.

Health officials are now concerned about the community spread of the virus after samples were collected from the Beckton Sewage Treatment Works in London, but have stressed the risk to the public is extremely low.

Several closely-related polio viruses were found in sewage samples taken between February and May. It has continued to evolve and has now been classified as a 'vaccine-derived' poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2).

Officials believe there has been some spread between closely linked individuals in northeast London - probably extended family members - and that these people are now shedding the type 2 poliovirus strain in their faeces.

Urgent investigations will try to establish the extent of community transmission and to identify where it may be occurring.

Time_Traveller wrote: ↑Wed Jun 22, 2022 1:54 pm Traces of polio virus found in London sewage as health officials declare national incident

[...]

https://news.sky.com/story/traces-of-po ... t-12638443