Warning for people in Stamford & Rutland after Monkeypox detected in East Midlands
National cases hit 524 this week.
After cases of Monkeypox were discovered in the East Midlands, people in Stamford and Rutland are being urged to call 111 if they have symptoms.
This comes as national cases hit 524 this week.
The most recent data on where these cases are being detected put out by the UKHSA, the Government department monitoring the spread of the virus, showed there were three confirmed cases in the region as of Wednesday, June 8. That week, the total number of UK cases was 336, almost 200 less than the current count, meaning there could be more cases in the region than the three confirmed.
But both Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council have said they cannot confirm whether Monkeypox has reached the local area as the cases are being monitored by the UKHSA – despite both previously telling the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) last month there were no cases locally when asked. The UKHSA has said it is not breaking infections down by local authority area.
Local health chiefs, Mike Sandys and Professor Ivan Browne, previously told LDRS they do not believe this disease will prove to be another Covid situation.
Leicester’s director of public health, Prof Browne, said: “There are more cases than we would be expecting, but I think it’s clear this is not a Covid scenario of a wave that’s coming and will be taking over. At the moment it’s presenting as a fairly mild, self-limiting illness so we’re really pleased about that.”
The majority of cases nationally are being found in London – 224 cases as of June 8. At that point, the West Midlands had six confirmed instances of Monkeypox.
While Monkeypox does not look like it will be another pandemic, there are still some measures people should be taking to minimise the spread of the disease. These include standard hygiene measures, reporting illness if you see symptoms, and limiting contact with others if you do catch it.
Anyone with symptoms, which can first present as flu-like fevers, chills and muscles aches, with a rash on the face or sometimes genital region appearing late, should report the illness. They can ring 111 or their GP for advice.