U.K. health authorities have urged anyone who tests positive for the monkeypox virus to abstain from sex until their symptoms have cleared.
In new guidance released Monday, the U.K. Health Security Agency also recommended that previously infected persons continue to use condoms for a period of eight weeks after the virus has passed, as a precautionary measure.
The health agency said the risks to the general public remain low, but encouraged people to contact a health professional if they notice any unusual rashes or lesions. The advice comes after Britain recorded an additional 71 cases of the virus over the weekend, bringing the U.K. total to 179 less than a month after its first case was on May 7.