A further 71 cases of monkeypox have been identified in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.

The total number of confirmed cases in the UK as a whole since 7 May now stands at 179.

The UKHSA has not been declaring Monkeypox cases over the weekend in England.

It comes after Ireland announced its first case on Saturday and a suspected infection there is being investigated.

The UKHSA has said the risk to the population “remains low” because the virus, which is transmitted through close physical contact, does not spread easily.

But, they warned it can live on surfaces such as bedsheets or towels.

People are advised to look out for rashes that are unusual to them or an ulceration.

Men who are gay or bisexual are being urged in particular to be aware of symptoms as the UKHSA said the “majority of cases identified to date” had been among that group.

Health protection teams are tracing contacts of people testing positive and are advising those at highest risk to isolate at home for up to 21 days.

Read more: Vet who caught monkeypox in 2003 says new outbreak is a ‘wake-up call for the world’

Despite the recent uptick in cases, The World Health Organization’s top monkeypox expert said she doesn’t expect the hundreds of cases reported globally to date to turn into another pandemic.

“At the moment, we are not concerned about a global pandemic”, Dr Rosamund Lewis said.

“We are concerned that individuals may acquire this infection through high-risk exposure if they don’t have the information they need to protect themselves.”

She warned that anyone is at potential risk for the disease, regardless of their sexual orientation

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