Second patient diagnosed with monkeypox in England

A second person has been diagnosed with monkeypox in England, a few days after the first case.

The patient, who had travelled to Nigeria, arrived at Blackpool Victoria Hospital with symptoms of the disease, Public Health England (PHE) said.

They have since been transferred to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital after testing positive for the infection.

Clinical director of the hospital's tropical and infectious diseases unit, Dr Mike Beadsworth, said there was "currently no risk to other staff, patients or visitors".

The unit has "highly trained staff who are experienced in dealing with a variety of infectious diseases", he added.

"All necessary precautions are being taken."

The first patient to be diagnosed, a Nigerian national, is being treated at the Royal Free Hospital in London after being diagnosed with the rare viral infection while staying at a naval base in Cornwall.

There is "no UK link" between the two patients, PHE said.

Monkeypox does not spread easily and most patients recover within a few weeks with no lasting effects.

It can cause severe illness in some people, with symptoms including fever, headache, aching muscles, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.

A rash can also develop, which usually starts on the face and spreads, forming a scab which falls off.

Dr Nick Phin, deputy director of the national infection service at PHE, said it was "very unusual" to see two cases so close together.

"We know that in September 2017 Nigeria experienced a large sustained outbreak of monkeypox and since then sporadic cases have continued to be reported," he said.

"It is likely that monkeypox continues to circulate in Nigeria and could therefore affect travellers who are returning from this part of the world, however 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, who might have come into contact with the individual to provide information and health advice."