Monkeypox: East Riding of Yorkshire Council apology over cases mistake

Symptoms of monkeypox include a rash, fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion

A council has apologised after incorrectly stating monkeypox cases had been found in their area.

A member of East Riding of Yorkshire's health team told BBC Radio Humberside on Tuesday they "were seeing cases within the Humber region".

However, the council said after further investigation "we wish to clarify that, as of today, we are not aware of any confirmed cases in the area".

A spokesperson apologised "for any confusion".

The virus, which originated in Africa, has been found in 71 people in the UK.

It is usually a mild infection, spread through close contact with scabs on the skin, bedding and towels used by an infected person - and through their coughs and sneezes.

A spokesperson from East Riding of Yorkshire Council said they wanted to clarify the public health position.

They added: "We would encourage people to be aware of the symptoms to look out for and to visit the UK Health Security Agency's (UKHSA) website for more information."

• Monkeypox cases rise to 71 in the UK

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The UKHSA said many of the those infected so far had been gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men - and it asked these groups in particular to be aware of the symptoms.

Monkeypox is not a sexually-transmitted disease, and experts have stressed the illness does not affect one community more than any other, so there should be no stigma.

The overall risk to the public is low despite the rise in cases amid the largest outbreak of monkeypox outside Africa, the UKHSA said.

Anyone with unusual rashes or lesions on any part of the body should contact NHS 111 or their local health service.

What is monkeypox?

The rash changes and goes through different stages, and can look like chickenpox or syphilis, before finally forming a scab, which later falls off

Monkeypox is usually associated with travel to Central or West Africa, but some of the cases which have been occurring outside these countries have had no travel link.

It does not spread easily between people, but it can be spread through:

• touching clothing, bedding or towels used by someone with the monkeypox rash

• touching monkeypox skin blisters or scabs

• the coughs or sneezes of a person with the monkeypox rash

If you get infected with monkeypox, it usually takes between five and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear.

Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.

A rash can develop, often beginning on the face, then spreading to other parts of the body. The rash changes and goes through different stages - a bit like chicken pox - before finally forming a scab, which later falls off.

Read more about the virus here.

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