Different strain of monkeypox discovered in UK after patient returned from West Africa

Anyone who is traveling to West and Central Africa is urged to be alert for the symptoms of monkeypox, which include a high temperature, headache, muscle and backache, swollen glands, shivering, and exhaustion.

Single genital lesions and sores on the mouth or anus have also been identified as symptoms of the virus by an international collaboration of clinicians across 16 countries.

Some of the symptoms were so severe they required patients to be admitted to the hospital.

Gay and bisexual men are disproportionately affected by the spread of the disease, with sexual closeness the most likely route of transmission.

However, it can be spread via any close contact, scientific research revealed.

Chloe Orkin, professor of HIV Medicine at the Queen Mary University of London, where the data was collated, said in July: “Viruses know no borders and monkeypox infections have now been described in 70 countries and more than 13,000 people.”

Anyone returning to the UK with monkeypox symptoms is urged to call 111.

The discovery of a new strain comes days after it emerged the UK is facing a 100,000 shortfall of monkeypox vaccine doses because the UKHSA grossly underestimated how many were required.

An NHS pilot scheme is now underway offering “fractional” doses to stretch stocks of the jab in a bid to protect five times as many people.