Number of Portsmouth monkeypox cases revealed as recent data suggests outbreak growth has slowed

The first ever figures on monkeypox cases by local authorities were published on Tuesday.

Data shows that Portsmouth has fewer than five confirmed and highly probable monkeypox cases as of August 8, and also indicates that the whole of the South East area has 258 such cases.

The information comes from the UK Health Security Agency’s latest epidemiological overview for the ongoing outbreak.

Dr William Welfare, incident director at UKHSA, said: ‘While the most recent data suggests the growth of the outbreak has slowed, we continue to see new cases every day.

‘While anyone can get monkeypox, the majority of monkeypox cases in the UK continue to be in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, with the infection being passed on mainly through close contact in interconnected sexual networks.

‘Please continue to be aware of symptoms, including rashes and blisters, particularly if you have recently had a new sexual partner.’