BREAKING NEWS

Scotland, Denmark confirms first case of monkeypox, more discovered in Portugal

Scotland confirmed its first case of monkeypox on Monday, Public Health Scotland said in a statement, adding that the person was receiving treatment while their contacts were being traced.

“We are working with NHS Boards (National Health Service) and wider partners in Scotland and the UK to investigate the source of this infection. Close contacts of the case are being identified and provided with health information and advice," said Nick Phin, Public Health Scotland's Director of Public Health Science.

Denmark has registered its first incidence of infection with monkeypox in an adult male who had returned from a trip to Spain, the health ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Portugal's health authorities reported on Monday 14 new confirmed cases of monkeypox on Monday, bringing the total tally of confirmed cases to 37.

In neighbouring Spain, health authorities in the region of Madrid confirmed four more cases on Monday, raising the total to 34. There are another 38 suspected cases of monkeypox in Madrid.

Monkeypox, which mostly occurs in west and central Africa, is a viral infection that was first recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1970s. Symptoms include fever, headaches and skin rashes starting on the face and spreading to the rest of the body.

The recent outbreak in more than 10 countries where it is not endemic is highly unusual, according to scientists. More than 100 confirmed or suspected cases have been reported, most of them in Europe.