Second case of monkeypox confirmed in Wales

A second case of monkeypox has been identified in Wales, public health officials have confirmed.

The latest positive test comes a week after the first case of the virus was confirmed in the country.

Dr Graham Brown, consultant in communicable disease control for Public Health Wales, said: “The case is being managed appropriately.

“To protect patient confidentiality, no further details relating to the patient will be disclosed.

“We are reassuring people that monkeypox does not usually spread easily between people, and the overall risk to the general public is low.”

So far 190 cases have been identified in the UK.

Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue, but some may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.

The rash can look like chickenpox or syphilis, and scabs can form which then fall off. Most people recover within a few weeks.

A majority of the cases seen so far in the UK have been in gay and bisexual men or men who have sex with men.