The Scottish Government is "closely" monitoring a spike in monkeypox cases in the UK, as the number of people more than doubled on Friday.

Eleven new cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the UK, bringing the total up to 20. 

While none of the confirmed cases have been in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the infection was being closely followed by her government.

A small number of individuals in Scotland were reported to have been forced to quarantine after being named as contacts of one of the patients last week.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the risk to the UK population remains low as the infection is not usually spread by people. 

It can, however, be passed on through close contact or contact with clothing used by a person with monkeypox. 

Public health expert Devi Sridhar reassured Scots that the outbreak "isn't like Covid in early 2020". 

In a Twitter post sharing her take on the viral infection, she added: "It’s a known disease, we have an effective vaccine already & promising treatments."

She said doctors and governments "are hyper-vigilant" after Covid which is helping with "detecting and responding quickly". 

"Key steps are contact tracing, vaccination and awareness," she said.

"No, this doesn’t mean lockdown now. We have scientific knowledge & tools to manage it."

Her comments come as UK health secretary Sajid Javid confirmed more doses of vaccines that are effective against monkeypox have been 

Meanwhile, the chief medical adviser for the UKHSA said the number of cases are expected to increase in the coming days. 

Dr Susan Hopkins said: "We anticipated that further cases would be detected through our active case finding with NHS services and heightened vigilance among healthcare professionals.

"We expect this increase to continue in the coming days and for more cases to be identified in the wider community. Alongside this we are receiving reports of further cases being identified in other countries globally. 

"We continue to rapidly investigate the source of these infections and raise awareness among healthcare professionals.

"We are contacting any identified close contacts of the cases to provide health information and advice."

The medical adviser urged everyone to be aware of any unusual rashes or lesions and to contact NHS 111 or a sexual health service if they have any concerns. 

She added: "Please contact clinics ahead of your visit and avoid close contact with others until you have been seen by a clinician."