Two patients have been diagnosed in England with the monkey pox virus, found in Nigeria, it has been announced.
Both patients were exposed to the virus in Nigeria and there is no link to them in the UK, Public Health England said.
The latest patient was diagnosed at Blackpool Victoria Hospital and is now being treated at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Public Health England said.
The first case was a Nigerian visiting a naval base in Plymouth.
Public Health England said there continued to be sporadic incidents of illness after a large outbreak of monkey pox in Nigeria 12 months ago. The disease had not been diagnosed in the UK until this month.
The disease is usually a “mild self-limiting” illness but can cause severe illness in some people, the agency said. It is only passed on through close contact.
Dr Nick Phin, from its national infection service, said: “It is very unusual to see two cases in such a relatively short space of time.
“We are working hard to contact individuals, including healthcare workers, that might have come into contact with the individual to provide information and health advice.”
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