The number of monkeypox cases in the UK has risen by 71 it was announced today, bringing the total number to 179 in the UK.
Following on from the first UK case recorded earlier this month, on May 7, the number has since risen with hundreds of cases now known worldwide.
Four of the UK's confirmed cases are in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland, one in Wales and the rest in England.
The large jump in cases is due to no figures being reported over the weekend.
In light of the new cases announced by the UK Health Security Agency, they said: "The risk to the UK population remains low, but we are asking people to be alert to any new rashes or lesions, which would appear like spots, ulcers or blisters, on any part of their body.
"Although this advice applies to everyone, the majority of the cases identified to date have been among men who are gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men, so we are asking these people in particular to be aware of the symptoms, particularly if they have recently had a new sexual partner.
"You should call NHS 111 or a sexual health centre immediately if you have a rash with blisters and either:
"You have been in close contact with someone who has or might have Monkeypox (even if they have not been tested yet) in the past 3 week.
"You have been to west or central Africa in the past 3 weeks, or you are a man who has sex with men."
The new cases come amid fresh guidance from UK health chiefs which advise anyone with monkeypox to abstain from sex.
The UK Health Security Agency released new guidance today that advised any Brits with the virus to stop having sex immediately.
They should wait until their lesions have healed and scabs have dried off, before partaking once more..
The guidance comes because the highest risk of transmission of the virus is through direct physical contact, meaning sex could pose as a hotbed for spreading it.
May so far as seen over 300 suspected and confirmed cases of monkeypox in Europe.
It comes amid warnings from the World health Organisation that the current number of cases could just be the “peak of the iceberg”.
Earlier this month, Health Secretary Sajid Javid warned of rising cases but maintained that the vast majority were mild.
Alongside that he said that the UK was stocking up on further doses of vaccines that are effective against the virus.
Ahead of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the UK's top health watchdog warned the public to take caution when taking part in celebration.
Health bosses also issued a covid reminder to those heading to parties and using public transport. Monkeypox is not a new virus, and has long been found in central and western Africa.
It has been considered endemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo since it first appeared in the 1970s.
So far, there have been no reported fatalities from the virus.
Speaking prior to the weekend at the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Friday, pandemic preparedness and prevention chief Sylvie Briand said: "We don’t know if we are just seeing the peak of the iceberg [or] if there are many more cases that are undetected in communities.
“We are still at the very, very beginning of this event. We know that we will have more cases in the coming days,” she said.
However, the expert added it is "not a disease the general public should be worried about".
"It is not Covid or other diseases that spread fast."
In recent weeks, the virus has been identified in several countries across Britain and the west, including Britain, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Canada and the United States.
According to the UK Health Security Agency, symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and chills.
The UKHSA says: “A rash can develop, often beginning on the face, then spreading to other parts of the body, including the genitals.
"The rash changes and goes through different stages, and can look like chickenpox or syphilis, before finally forming a scab, which later falls off.”
Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser, UKHSA, said: "We anticipated that further cases would be detected through our active case finding with NHS services and heightened vigilance among healthcare professionals.
“We expect this increase to continue in the coming days and for more cases to be identified in the wider community.
“Alongside this we are receiving reports of further cases being identified in other countries globally.
"We continue to rapidly investigate the source of these infections and raise awareness among healthcare professionals.
“We are contacting any identified close contacts of the cases to provide health information and advice."
