Monkeypox panic in Europe, America

Monkeypox is a usually mild viral illness, characterized by symptoms of fever as well as a distinctive bumpy rash.

Monkeypox is most common in remote parts of Central and West Africa.

Cases of the disease outside of the region are often linked to travel to the area.

A handful of cases of monkeypox have now been reported or are suspected in Britain, Portugal, Spain, Canada and the United States.

The latest new cases were reported in France, Italy and Sweden.

It follows the confirmation of cases in the US, Spain and Portugal on Wednesday, as well as the investigation of 13 suspected cases in Canada.

The first case of the disease in the UK was reported on 7 May. The patient had recently travelled to Nigeria, where they are believed to have caught the virus before travelling to England.

There are now nine confirmed cases in the UK. The source of these infections has not yet been confirmed but cases seem to have been "locally acquired",

In Europe, one confirmed case was reported in Sweden on Thursday, as well as one in Italy and a suspected case in France. Swedish authorities said they were not sure how the individual had contracted the virus, but local media report that the individual in Italy had recently returned from the Canary Islands.

Five confirmed cases were also reported in Portugal on Wednesday, as well as seven in Spain.

Though no vaccine has been approved for Monkeypox in Europe, Spanish health authorities have reportedly purchased thousands of smallpox vaccines to deal with the outbreak, according to Spanish newspaper El País. Monkeypox is a member of the same family of viruses as smallpox.