On Thursday 19 May, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported on an increase in monkeypox cases detected in the UK and Portugal. Some suspected cases have been detected in Spain. Other Member States, including France and Belgium, have also reported cases since then.
Since the occurrence of cases is not linked to travel or known cases, community circulation is suspected.
The ECDC issues initial recommendations to practitioners and health authorities and instructs authorities to isolate, test and report suspected cases and to establish follow-up.
The Centre is monitoring the situation, in cooperation with the Member States and the participants of the Health Security Committee, and is working on a rapid risk assessment bulletin to be issued early next week. Finally, ECDC refers to two of its previously published documents on monkeypox.
See the ECDC fact sheet for professionals on monkeypox: https://aeur.eu/f/1rh
See ECDC’s rapid risk assessment: https://aeur.eu/f/1rk (Original version in French by Emilie Vanderhulst)