According to the government’s official figures for notifiable diseases, there were cases in both Thanet and Medway.
Since June 8, GPs and other doctors have been required to report any suspected cases of monkeypox they see, and laboratories have also been required to report if the virus is identified in a laboratory sample. This is because the UK Health Security Agency added monkeypox to the list of notifiable diseases (UKHSA).
Infectious diseases like measles, scarlet fever, and whooping cough must be reported to local authorities or Health Protection Teams. The number of suspected cases reported locally is much lower than the number of confirmed cases by the UKHSA, implying that there may be more cases in these areas.
In the week ending June 26, one suspected case was reported in Medway and two in Thanet. During this time period, 32 cases were reported in England. There were no suspected cases in Kent the previous week.
For the week ending June 26, there were eight suspected cases of scarlet fever in Kent, with one in Ashford, two in Canterbury, one in Gravesham, one in Shepway, one in Swale, and two in Tunbridge Wells. There were two tuberculosis cases, one in Gravesham and one in Thanet.
UKHSA incident director Dr Sophia Makki stated: “The monkeypox outbreak in the United Kingdom is spreading, with over a thousand cases confirmed so far. We anticipate that the number of cases will continue to rise in the coming days and weeks.
“If you are attending large events this summer or having sex with new partners, be aware of any monkeypox symptoms so you can be tested quickly and help prevent the infection from spreading. Men who are gay, bisexual, or have sex with men are currently the majority of cases. However, anyone who has had close contact with someone who has symptoms is also at risk.” If you suspect you have monkeypox, avoid social gatherings, meetings with friends, and sexual contact. Instead, stay at home and seek advice from 111 or your local sexual health service. We are grateful to everyone who has come forward so far to test and help us with contact tracing.
