Monkeypox: The map shows cases in each region of the UK

More than 1,000 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in Britain, the latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show.

There were 1,076 confirmed cases across the UK between May 6 and June 26, up from 166 since the last reporting date on June 24.

England has recorded a total of 1,035 cases of monkeypox, of which 79% (of 833 with known home addresses) were identified in London. The capital has a total of 659 confirmed cases, followed by the south-east with 56 and the north-west with 34.

More than 200 are still under investigation and are not yet publicly linked to any region.

Outside England, Scotland has registered a total of 27 cases, followed by nine in Wales and five in Northern Ireland.

The UKHSA said the outbreak has been largely identified in gay or bisexual men and other men who have sex with men, with no documented history of travel to endemic countries.

It further added that where gender information was available, 1,033 (nearly 100%) confirmed cases were male, with five confirmed female cases. The median age of confirmed cases in the UK was 36 years.

Health experts recently warned anyone who has new or multiple sexual partners to watch for monkeypox symptoms as cases rise.

dr Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections at the UKHSA, said: “Currently, most cases have been in men who are gay or bisexual or who have sex with men. However, anyone who has had close contact with a person with symptoms is also at increased risk.

“If you are concerned that you may have monkeypox, do not attend events, meet friends, or engage in sexual contact. Instead, stay home and call 111 or your local sexual health service for advice. Please contact the clinic before your visit and avoid close contact with others until you have been screened by a clinician.

“To support our contact tracing, we encourage everyone to ensure they share contact details with sexual partners to help us limit further transmission as cases arise.”