Map shows how monkeypox has swept the globe as Pandemic Institute hands £500k to Liverpool researchers

News bulletin: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is awarded funding into monkeypox research, Merseyside Fire Service facing huge energy bill, new cycle lanes for Liverpool.
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The Pandemic Institute has awarded nearly half a million pounds to Liverpool researchers to help tackle the growing threat of monkeypox.

Incidents of the disease have risen rapidly since mid-May with the most recent figures showing more than 23,000 cases have been recorded in almost 90 countries.

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Last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern – the highest level of alert - putting monkeypox on par with diseases such as COVID-19, Ebola and polio.

Researchers at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool John Moores University and other insitutions across the city will launch a series of projects to help combat the spread of the disease.

Funded projects will include research on the origins of the outbreak in Africa, studies of transmission and spread, development of rapid diagnostics, investigation of the body’s immune response to help vaccine development, studies of new drug treatments, and understanding of stigma around the disease.

The first case of monkeypox in Europe was identified in the UK (England) on May 6 but soon after Portugal, Spain, France, Germany and Italy were all recording positive cases.

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Official figures from the UK Health Security Agency show as August 1, 2022, there are 2,672 confirmed and 87 highly probable monkeypox cases in the UK. Of these, 2,638 are in England.

The map below will show you how the current outbreak has spread around Europe and the world.

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🚒 The cost to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service due to the energy blunder at Liverpool Council could be at least 50% more than first anticipated. The local authority has acted as the electricity provider to the fire service for 36 years. So it's likely to cost the service at least £1.5m.

🚴 A trio of new cycle lanes could be created across Liverpool. The City Council has launched a six-week consultation on improvements to three routes that will equate to six kilometres of continuous lanes. The routes will connect the East Lancashire Road, Gateacre and Sefton Park to the city centre.