EDIT: It's been found in the US/Canada, officially making it the new pandemic.
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/05/18/927043767/rare-monkeypox-outbreak-in-u-k-and-europe-what-is-it-and-should-we-worry
There's a monkeypox outbreak in the United Kingdom, Portugal and Spain. The outbreak is quite small — just 36 suspected cases spread across the three countries, including eight in England and 20 in Portugal. A case in the U.S. has also been reported.
But health officials have little clue where people caught the monkeypox virus. And there's concern the virus may be spreading through the community — undetected — and possibly through a new route of transmission.
"This [outbreak] is rare and unusual," epidemiologist Susan Hopkins, who's the chief medical adviser of the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said in a statement on Monday.
"Exactly where and how they [the people] acquired their infections remains under urgent investigation," the agency said in the statement.
...
But in England, 7 of the 8 cases don't involve recent travel to Africa, suggesting the patients involved in those cases caught the virus in England. On top of that, those individuals haven't had contact with the one patient known to have traveled to Nigeria, the UKHSA reported Tuesday. Together, this data suggests the virus is spreading in the community undetected.
"Presumably this is cryptic spread from an imported case(s)," virologist Angie Rasmussen of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization tweeted on Tuesday.
In the U.S., the patient in Massachusetts had not recently traveled to countries where the disease occurs but had visited Canada.
In addition, there's evidence the virus could be spreading through a new route: sexual contact. "What is even more bizarre is finding cases that appear to have acquired the infection via sexual contact," epidemiologist Mateo Prochazka at the UKHSA tweeted. "This is a novel route of transmission that will have implications for outbreak response and control."
"We are particularly urging men who are gay and bisexual to be aware of any unusual rashes or lesions and to contact a sexual health service without delay," epidemiologist Hopkins said in the UKHSA's statement.
https://www.businessinsider.com/monkeypox-virus-cases-uk-urgent-investigation-symptoms-2022-5
A total of seven monkeypox cases were diagnosed in the UK between May 6 and May 15. After the first case was announed (sic) on 7 May, two additional patients not linked to that case were confirmed on May 14.
The latest four cases have no known connection with the previous confirmed cases. The individuals have the West Afrian clade of the virus, which is mild compared to the Central African Clade, according to the UK Health Security Agency
Monkeypox is a rare but potentially deadly illness. Its can cause include flu-like symptoms and puss-filled boils that cover the body. It doesn't tend to spread easily among people unless they're in close contact. Those infected usually have traveled to regions such as West Africa where the illness is most common.
The UKHSA said the four new cases had no link to travel to a country where monkeypox is endemic.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-61470940.amp
The UKHSA says investigations are under way to establish links between the latest four cases, who all appear to have been infected in London.
Currently, common contacts have been identified for two of the four latest cases. All four self-identify as gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/18/monkeypox-alert-spain-men-show-symptoms
Health authorities in Spain have issued an alert over a possible outbreak of monkeypox after eight men showed symptoms compatible with the viral infection, which has already been detected in the UK and Portugal.
“The eight suspected cases in Madrid are among men who have sex with men. They are doing well but this illness can require hospital treatment.”
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/portugal-finds-monkeypox-cases-men-outbreak-spreads-84803304
Portuguese health authorities on Wednesday confirmed five cases of monkeypox in young men, marking an unusual outbreak in Europe of a disease typically limited to Africa.
Portugal's General Directorate for Health said they were also investigating 15 suspected cases and that all were identified this month in the area around the capital, Lisbon.
All the Portuguese cases involve men, most of them young, authorities said.
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