Ireland sees rise in monkeypox cases as number in hospital remain low

Across Europe up to Monday there were 16,750 monkeypox cases.

The number of confirmed monkeypox cases in Ireland has risen, although numbers here continue to remain lower than in most European countries.

Last week, another 14 cases were reported to the Health Protection and Surveillance Centre data, bringing the total now to 126. Hospital numbers linked to the virus remain low, with no new admissions reported. 

So far, 11 men have been hospitalised since the start of the outbreak, including two admitted for isolation only. All of the infections here have happened among men, with a median age of 36.

“Sexual orientation is known for 90, all of whom self-identify gbMSM (gay, bisexual, men who have sex with men),” the data shows.

Across Europe up to Monday there were 16,750 cases reported, an update from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) shows.

The worst affected countries are Spain (6,119), Germany (3,295) and France (2,889). The deaths of two people in Spain last month have been linked to the virus. Latvia has identified just four cases, as have Cyrus and Bulgaria, the ECDC said.

Cases also continue to rise across the UK, with 3,207 cases reported in total up to Tuesday. This includes 27 in Northern Ireland, the UK Health Security Agency said.

Between 2018 and 2021, there were just seven cases of monkeypox in Britain, they said.