Moneypox cases in the UK have surpassed 1,000, latest figures from the Health Security Agency (HSA) show.

There are now 1,076 infections across the country, an increase of 32% from the figures reported on Friday.

Dr Sophia Makki, Incident director at UKHSA said: ‘The monkeypox outbreak in the UK continues to grow, with over a thousand cases now confirmed nationwide. We expect cases to continue to rise further in the coming days and week.’

Dr Makki urged people to be alert for symptoms of monkeypox, which include a fever, headache and rash.

She said: ‘If  you are attending large events over the summer or having sex with new partners, be alert to any monkeypox symptoms so you can get tested rapidly and help avoid passing the infection on.

‘Currently the majority of cases have been in men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with men. However, anyone who has had close contact with an individual with symptoms is also at increased risk.’

She added that people showing symptoms of the infectious disease should isolate and get tested.

‘If you are concerned that you may have monkeypox, don’t go to events, meet with friends or have sexual contact,’ Dr Makki said.

‘Instead, stay at home and contact 111 or your local sexual health service for advice. We are grateful to all the people who have come forward so far for testing and to assist us with our contact tracing.’

The figures come after experts warned that monkeypox may be mutating at an abnormally fast rate.

Experts have been puzzled by the recent outbreak of the virus in countries where it is not endemic.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) say monkeypox has replicated up to 12 times faster than expected since 2018.

 It is thought most outbreaks across the US and Europe have been detected among gay and bisexual men – though scientists stress anyone can catch it.

The UK Health Security Agency has recommended people at a higher risk of exposure should be offered vaccines.

The smallpox vaccine Imvanex is expected to be offered, which is shown to be effective against monkeypox.

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