British health officials have identified another 104 cases of smallpox in England in what has become the largest outbreak of the usually rare disease across Africa. The UK Health and Safety Administration announced on Monday that there are now 470 cases of smallpox in monkeys across the country, the vast majority of which are homosexual or bisexual males. Scientists warn that anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, can catch monkey pox if they are in close, physical contact with an infected person or his or her clothes or sheets. According to UK data, 99 per cent of cases so far have been in men and most in London. In May, the World Health Organization’s top adviser said that the outbreak of monkey pox in Europe and beyond probably spread through sex on two recent raves in Spain and Belgium. Last week, the WHO said 1,285 cases of monkey pox had been reported from 28 countries where monkey pox was not known to be endemic. No deaths have been reported outside Africa. After the United Kingdom, the highest number of cases has been reported in Spain, Germany and Canada. The WHO said many people in the epidemic had “atypical features” of the disease that could make it more difficult for doctors to diagnose. The United Nations health service also said that while close contact could transmit monkeypox, “it is not clear what role sexual fluids, including semen and vaginal fluids, play in transmission.” Meanwhile, countries in Africa have reported more than 1,500 suspected cases, including 72 deaths from eight countries. Monkey pox is considered endemic to Central and West Africa.
