The number of mpox cases in Korea went up by 16 from April 30 to last Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 60.

Among the 16 cases, 11 came from Seoul, two from Gyeonggi Province, and one each from Incheon, Busan, and Gwangju, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The KDCA said that all 16 were presumed to have been infected domestically because they had no history of overseas travel within three weeks of their first symptoms, and they were all infected through sexual contact.

Mpox is an acute feverish, rash-like illness caused by a viral infection. Most cases resolve spontaneously after two to four weeks, and the fatality rate is reported to be less than 1 percent.

The first outbreak in Korea occurred in June last year, and 55 patients have been diagnosed in the past two months since the sixth patient was confirmed on March 7.

Of the 60 total cases, 54 are presumptive domestic infections, and the remaining six are international cases. Fifty-eight are male -- 42 in their 30s and 10 in their 20s.

Also, 58 of the patients tested positive for the virus after having sexual contact within three weeks before their first symptoms. This number includes 51 who tested positive after having sexual contact with strangers through mobile dating apps.

As of Sunday, 32 people remained hospitalized, and 28 were released from isolation.

Meanwhile, after health authorities started accepting vaccination appointments last Wednesday, 1,119 people had made reservations to receive Jynneos, a mpox vaccine manufactured by Danish biotech firm Bavarian Nordic.

Vaccinations have begun on Monday.

The KDCA said that details on how to make an appointment and a list of vaccination centers are being provided separately to high-risk groups to protect their privacy.

Health authorities explained that they are managing the mpox high-risk population based on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria.

The U.S. CDC recommends vaccination to people who have been exposed to a person with mpox and are at direct risk of infection, including those whose sexual partner has been diagnosed with mpox within the past two weeks, men who have sex with men, people who have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease within the past six months, and LGBT people, including transgender and nonbinary people, who have had more than one sexual partner.

The CDC's criteria also include people who have engaged in prostitution in a mpox transmission area within the past six months, people who have sexual partners who are at risk for mpox infection, and people with immunosuppressive conditions, such as HIV, who are at risk for future exposure to mpox.