Health
Monkeypox Q&A: how do you catch it and what are the risks? An expert explains

THE LATEST outbreak of monkeypox has, at the time of writing, reached 17 countries with 110 confirmed cases and a further 205 suspected cases. It’s a fast-moving story, so if you need to catch up on the latest, here are answers to some of the most pressing questions.
How is monkeypox spreading?
The first patient in the current outbreak had returned to the UK from travels to Nigeria where monkeypox is endemic. However, cases are now spreading among people who have not travelled to west or central Africa, suggesting local transmission is occurring.
Monkeypox usually spreads by close contact and respiratory droplets. However, sexual transmission (via semen and/or vaginal fluid) has been posited as an additional possible route. The World Health Organization (WHO) says: “Studies are needed to better understand this risk.”
Most cases in the current outbreak have been in youngish men, but the virus can spread to anyone.
There are no confirmed cases in Pembrokeshire at the present time.
What are the symptoms?
Early symptoms are flu-like, such as a fever, headaches, aching muscles and swollen lymph nodes.
Once the fever breaks, a rash can develop, often beginning on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body – most commonly the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

How deadly is monkeypox?
Monkeypox is mostly a mild, self-limiting disease lasting two-to-three weeks. However, in some cases, it can cause death. According to the WHO, the fatality rate “in recent times” has been around 3% to 6%. The west African monkeypox virus is considered to be milder than the central African one.
Monkeypox tends to cause more serious disease in people who are immunocompromised – such as those undergoing chemotherapy – and children. There have been no deaths from monkeypox in the current worldwide outbreak, but, according to the Daily Telegraph, one child in the UK is in intensive care with the disease.
Why is it called monkeypox?
Monkeypox was first identified in laboratory monkeys (macaques) in Denmark in 1958, hence the name. However, monkeys don’t seem to be the natural hosts of the virus. It is more commonly found in rats, mice and squirrels. The first case in humans was seen in the 1970s in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Is monkeypox related to smallpox and chickenpox?
Monkeypox is related to smallpox – they are both orthopoxviruses – but it is not related to chickenpox. Despite the name, chickenpox is a herpes virus, not a poxvirus. (How “chicken” got in the name is not entirely clear. In his dictionary of 1755, Samuel Johnson surmised that it is so named because it is “of no very great danger”.) Nevertheless, the vesicles (little pus-filled blisters) caused by monkeypox are similar in appearance to those of chickenpox.
Are cases likely to continue rising?
Cases are likely to continue to rise significantly over the next two-to-three weeks, but this is not another pandemic in the making. Monkeypox doesn’t spread anywhere near as easily as the airborne virus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19.
Has monkeypox evolved to be more virulent?
RNA viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, don’t have the ability to check their genetic code for mistakes each time they replicate, so they tend to evolve faster. Monkeypox is a DNA virus, which does have the ability to check itself for genetic mistakes each time it replicates, so it tends to mutate a lot slower.
The first genome sequence of the current outbreak (from a patient in Portugal) suggests that the virus is very similar to the monkeypox strain that was circulating in 2018 and 2019 in the UK, Singapore and Israel. So it is unlikely that the current outbreak is the result of a mutated virus that is better at spreading.
How is monkeypox diagnosed?
In the UK, swab samples taken from the patient are sent to a specialist laboratory that handles rare pathogens, where a PCR test is run to confirm monkeypox. The UK Health Security Agency has only one rare and imported pathogens laboratory.
Is there a vaccine for it?
Vaccines for smallpox, which contain the lab-made vaccinia virus, can protect against monkeypox. However, the vaccine that was used to eradicate smallpox can have severe side-effects, killing around one in a million people vaccinated.
The only vaccine specifically approved for monkeypox, Imvanex, is made by a company called Bavarian Nordic. It uses a nonreplicating form of vaccinia, which causes fewer side-effects. It was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency in 2019 – but only for use in people 18 years of age or older.
UK health secretary Sajid Javid said that the UK government will be stocking up on vaccines that are effective against monkeypox. The UK currently has about 5,000 doses of smallpox vaccine, which has an efficacy of around 85% against monkeypox.
Are there drugs to treat it?
There are no specific drugs to treat monkeypox. However, antivirals such as cidofovir and brincidofovir have been proven to be effective against poxviruses in animals and may also be effective against monkeypox infections in humans.
By Ed Feil, Professor of Microbial Evolution at The Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Health
Welsh Government advances Baby Bundle initiative to support families

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT is set to roll out its revamped Baby Bundle programme aimed at easing the financial burden on expectant families, particularly in some of the country’s most deprived areas. The initiative, which remains a cornerstone of the Programme for Government, was detailed by Dawn Bowden MS, Minister for Children and Social Care, in a recent statement.
Under the new scheme, £2.5 million has been earmarked for the 2025–26 financial year. Families living within core Flying Start areas will receive a Baby Bundle designed to provide essential items such as a warm blanket, clothing, and crucial information about local support services. The bundles are intended to help reduce everyday costs for families and are aligned with the Government’s broader Child Poverty Strategy.
In addition to the primary distribution, health practitioners will be able to offer Baby Bundles through Flying Start Outreach to a limited number of families outside these designated areas who are in need of extra support. The programme’s targeted approach is expected to make a tangible difference by alleviating some of the financial pressures faced by those living in economically challenged communities.
The tender specification for the procurement of the Baby Bundle programme is scheduled to go live later this week. The procurement process will run until mid-May 2025, with officials set to assess bids and aim for a contract award by the end of June. Once the process is successfully completed, the registration for receiving the Baby Bundle is anticipated to commence by the end of November.
The Government is also working closely with midwives and other health professionals to finalise the registration process, ensuring a smooth rollout. As part of its wider efforts to boost the uptake of Welsh Benefits, the Baby Bundle initiative will feature prominently in campaigns designed to raise awareness among families about the available support.
This proactive step underscores the Welsh Government’s commitment to not only meeting immediate needs but also to fostering long-term improvements in family welfare across the region. Further updates on the programme’s progress are expected in the coming months.
Health
Welsh NHS sees highest dissatisfaction levels in the UK

THE WELSH NHS has recorded the highest level of public dissatisfaction across the United Kingdom, according to the 2024 British Social Attitudes survey conducted by the King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust.
The survey found that 72% of people in Wales are dissatisfied with the performance of the NHS, compared with 59% in England and 60% in Scotland. Researchers noted that the gap between Wales and other nations is statistically significant and reflects growing concern about healthcare delivery in the country.

The Nuffield Trust, in its analysis of the figures, highlighted a series of factors that may be contributing to public discontent in Wales. These include record-breaking NHS waiting times, persistent underperformance on key targets, and recent political instability – most notably the resignation of First Minister Vaughan Gething after just four months in office.
Healthcare in Wales is devolved and the responsibility of the Welsh Government. Performance indicators such as ambulance response times, emergency department waits, and treatment backlogs have consistently shown Wales trailing behind England and Scotland in recent years.
Reacting to the figures, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, James Evans MS, said: “After years of failure, Labour has driven satisfaction with our health service into the ground.
People in Wales are clearly and rightly fed up to the back teeth with Labour’s atrocious mismanagement of the Welsh NHS, with nearly three-quarters now dissatisfied.
The Welsh Conservatives have a plan to fix the Welsh NHS and improve outcomes, with a focus on easing restrictions to encourage cross-border and cross-sector collaboration in the short term, and a new and substantial workforce plan to boost staff numbers in the long term.”
The Welsh Government has yet to respond to the latest survey results, but ministers have previously argued that chronic underfunding from Westminster and the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to place immense pressure on NHS Wales.
Health analysts suggest that while public concern is rising across the UK, the scale of dissatisfaction in Wales signals a need for urgent reform and renewed focus on delivery.
Health
Welsh Government delays NHS pay award, leaving nurses in limbo

RCN says inaction threatens workforce stability and patient care
TODAY marks the start of the 2025/26 financial year, but thousands of nursing staff across Wales are still waiting to hear what their pay rise will be. The Welsh Government has not yet announced this year’s NHS pay award, leaving health workers in uncertainty during a time of continuing economic pressure.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has criticised the delay, warning that it undermines staff morale and exacerbates an already fragile workforce situation. According to the latest figures, there are over 2,000 nursing vacancies across Wales, with staff retention falling and student recruitment struggling to keep pace with demand.
Last year, after months of industrial unrest, NHS nursing staff in Wales accepted a revised pay offer from the Welsh Government. The 2023/24 deal included a 5% consolidated increase and a one-off payment of at least £900. At the time, Welsh ministers said the agreement represented the best possible offer within the limits of the funding available from Westminster.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said during the 2023 negotiations: “We are working within a fixed budget and have had to make difficult decisions to prioritise frontline services. We continue to urge the UK Government to provide the necessary funding for fair pay across the NHS.”
That context remains unchanged in 2025, with Welsh ministers stating in recent months that without additional funding from the UK Government, it is becoming increasingly difficult to fund public sector pay awards without affecting other services. The Welsh Government has frequently highlighted that it does not receive ringfenced health pay funding and must make choices within the block grant provided via the Barnett formula.
Nevertheless, the RCN says the failure to confirm this year’s NHS pay uplift on time is unacceptable.
Helen Whyley, Executive Director of RCN Wales, said: “The continued delay in announcing the NHS pay award is unacceptable. Nursing staff are essential to patient care, yet once again, they find themselves at the bottom of government priorities.”
“Nursing staff are the backbone of the NHS and cannot be expected to deliver the reforms needed to save it if Welsh Government can’t even pay them fairly and on time. The Welsh Government must take responsibility and act now to ensure nursing staff receive a fair and timely pay rise. At the same time, they must hold Westminster to account for failing to properly fund NHS Wales.”
Health unions are calling for clarity in the coming days to avoid further disruption and to reassure staff who are already facing high workloads and rising living costs.
The Welsh Government has been approached for an updated comment regarding the current delay.
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