ABU DHABI — The UAE reported five new cases of the monkeypox virus on Tuesday, taking the total number of infections recorded so far to 13.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention said the cases were detected by early monitoring and investigation of the disease.

It also announced that two patients who previously had monkeypox diagnosed in the UAE have fully recovered from symptoms of the disease.

Confirmed cases will be treated in complete isolation in hospitals until they recover. Any close contact will quarantine at home for 21 days, with monitoring from UAE officials.

Global cases of the virus have now exceeded 1,000.

"Monkeypox is a contagious viral disease, but the ways it is spread are limited compared to the Covid-19 virus," state news agency WAM has reported officials as saying.

"The most prominent ways of transmission of infection from one person to another are through contact with body fluids and respiratory droplets, contact with skin lesions of an infected person, and contact with contaminated surfaces."

Authorities have advised residents to follow all safety and health prevention measures and take preventive measures when travelling and at gatherings.

This includes maintaining personal hygiene and avoiding physical contact with anyone who has skin rashes.

The UAE's first infection was announced on May 24, in a 29-year-old woman from a West African country. — Agencies