Healthcare workers have been offered the smallpox vaccine in the UK as monkeypox cases spread further across the globe.
Two more cases of the West African strain were reported in Britain on Thursday, taking the total to nine.
Australia on Friday reported its first monkeypox case detected in a traveller who recently returned from Britain. Canada, Belgium, France, Italy and Spain have all also reported their first cases in recent days.
While there is no specific vaccine for the disease, a smallpox jab does offer some protection, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The inoculation has been offered to some healthcare workers and others who may have been exposed to the disease.
Monkeypox is a usually mild viral illness, characterised by symptoms of fever as well as a distinctive bumpy rash.
There are two main strains: the Congo strain, which is more severe – with up to 10 per cent mortality – and the West African strain, which has a fatality rate of about 1 per cent.
