The spread of monkeypox could be monitored by a Covid-like tracker as cases in the UK continue to rise.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKSA) is releasing daily updates on infections as the total number of UK cases has risen to 90.
The latest figures from Thursday report 158 cases in England, 31 in Scotland, 17 in Wales and 16 in Northern Ireland.
Health officials are reportedly developing a dashboard – similar to the one that tracks Covid infections – to keep the public up to date with the virus, the Express reports.
The Covid dashboard took authorities several weeks to launch in spring 2020 – weeks after the virus began circulating.
The tool has been an essential part of the UK’s response to the pandemic as it can help monitor and track the virus across the country.
(Image: REUTERS)
A tracking dashboard for monkeypox was quickly set up by the UKHSA to help study the virus and inform the public of rising cases.
Over the coming days health officials will offer official guidance on what to do if people develop symptoms of monkeypox and if they believe they have been exposed to the virus.
Monkeypox is usually found in Central and Western Africa and can be transmitted by contact and droplet exposure via exhaled large droplets.
People who are infected right now are sent to quarantine, either at home or in a specialist infectious disease ward in a hospital, after a PCR test confirms the infection.
Health officials then track down close contacts and offer them shots of a vaccine that can prevent infection if administered a few days after being exposed.
The UK currently has about 23,000 doses of the Bavarian Nordic Imvanex jab, which is specifically designed to combat smallpox, but has also shown to be effective against monkeypox.
Each dose of the vaccine costs around £5, with a total of two doses required four weeks apart to ensure maximum protection.
The vaccine needs to be given soon after being exposed to the virus in order to alter the infection.
As monkeypox has a three-week incubation period, by the time a person is symptomatic, the vaccine is ineffective.
Health officials believe the best way to treat the virus is to vaccinate the close contacts of the people who have detected positive for monkeypox.
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – sign up to our daily newsletter here .
