Belgium is the first country to require quarantine for Monkeypox

Following the discovery of three cases in the country, Belgian health officials have ordered that those infected with the virus self-isolate for three weeks.

According to media reports, Belgium has become the first country to impose a mandatory 21-day monkeypox quarantine, as 14 countries confirm outbreaks of the viral disease and doctors warn of a "significant increase" in instances in the United Kingdom.

Following the discovery of three cases in the country, Belgian health officials have ordered that those infected with the virus self-isolate for 21 days.

According to the Daily Mail, the infections, the very first of which came out on Friday, are all linked to an Antwerp festival. Doctors have alerted that the United Kingdom is experiencing a "significant" increase in infections and that the government's response is "critical" in preventing the spread.

According to Dr. Claire Dewsnap, British Association for Sexual Health and HIV president, the outbreak has the potential to have a "significant effect" on the availability to sexual health services in the UK. In the United Kingdom, 11 more people were found to be infected with the virus, bringing the total to 20.

In a London hospital, a British child is critically ill, and more than 100 infections have been reported across Europe.

The unusual viral infection, which is usually contracted in the tropical regions of the West and Central Africa, can be passed on through really close contact with a person infected with the disease. The symptoms are usually mild, and most patients will recover within weeks without treatment. However, the disease is potentially fatal, and one in every 100 people infected will die from the strain.

According to the Daily Mail, the disease discovered in monkeys can be spread to people through close physical contact and sexual contact.