The UK Health and Security Agency has published its first technical briefing for the Monkeypox outbreak in England.

Highlights:

• England has a level 2 outbreak: Transmission within a defined sub-population with high number of close contacts
• There are 336 laboratory confirmed cases of monkeypox in the UK
• 81% of cases in England are London residents
• 99% of cases are male
• Median age of confirmed cases was 38 years
• 151 of the 152 men interviewed identified as gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM)
• The current UK monkeypox strain contains 48 single mutations in its genome relative to the 2018 UK monkeypox strain
• There are 3 mutations in one protein which are classed as high priority
• There are 4 mutations at medium priority
• There are 2 mutations of low priority
• “We cannot yet determine if transmission has stopped increasing”

The full Monkeypox Technical Briefing published 10th June 2022 can be read online here

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