UK: 50 new monkeypox cases in biggest epidemic beyond Africa

LONDON (AP) — British health officials have reported another 50 cases of monkeypox across the country, for a total of 574 cases. That makes the U.K.’s outbreak the biggest to date beyond Africa. In a statement on Friday, Britain’s Health Security Agency said most of the cases have been identified in gay or bisexual men, but warned that anyone who is in close, physical contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk of catching the usually rare disease. Next week, the World Health Organization is convening an expert group to determine whether the monkeypox outbreak should be declared a global emergency.