The outbreak is of the West African sub-type of the virus, which causes generally mild symptoms including a fever, muscle aches and pains, and a rash that blisters and then scabs over, has made its way to Europe. The first case reported in the UK, was on 5 May, from an individual who had recently returned from Nigeria.

It is being said that the disease occasionally makes its way to parts of Africa, which gave doctors a clear image of how the virus reached and is spreading into the UK. Many of the cases have been going undetected. However traveling is not the only factor, with other infected individuals not having any travel history. Studies are showing that in Africa, the virus tends to transmit and spread through rats and rabbits (rodent) and not between people.

On May 18, a media release was issued stating that so far, about nine people are reported to being infected with two of them based in London. Some outbreak cases cases in Spain and Portugal, is leaving questions as to how it is linked to the outbreak in UK. However there there have been multiple introductions of the virus from West Africa. The good news to the matter is said that those infected are expected to make a full recovery after two or three weeks. But there is some evidence from the past that children get more severe symptoms, so public health teams are trying to shut down the virus’s spread as quickly as possible.