UK: 77 new monkeypox cases, biggest outbreak outside Africa

By MARIA CHENG
AP Medical Writer

LONDON (AP) — British health officials have reported another 77 cases of monkeypox. That raises the U.K. total to more than 300. The U.K. has the biggest identified outbreak of the disease beyond Africa, with the vast majority of infections in gay and bisexual men. Still, health officials warn that anyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, is potentially at risk of catching monkeypox if they are in close contact with a patient, their clothing or their bed sheets. On Sunday, the World Health Organization said more than two dozen countries that haven’t previously identified monkeypox cases reported 780 cases. That is a more than 200% jump in cases in the last week.