16 Jul 2024 | 10:49 AM UTC
Australia: Confirmed monkeypox (mpox) cases reported in multiple areas, especially Victoria, in July /update 2
Monkeypox (mpox) cases confirmed in multiple areas in Australia in July. Victoria is most affected. Maintain basic health precautions.
Australian health officials have reported confirmed monkeypox (mpox) cases in multiple areas, with an additional 54 mpox cases reported June 25-July 16, bringing the total to 125 mpox cases since April 1. This is compared to the 26 cases reported nationwide in 2023. Victoria (74 cases) is the most affected, followed by New South Wales (25 cases), Queensland (17 cases), South Australia (4 cases), and Australian Capital Territory (4 cases). Health officials have urged anyone with symptoms to restrict contact with others and seek urgent medical care and testing from their general practitioner or local clinic. Free mpox vaccines are widely available for eligible people through clinics, hospitals, general practitioners, Aboriginal health services, councils, and pharmacies. As disease surveillance and contact tracing continue, officials will likely identify additional cases in the coming weeks. This report represents the most up-to-date information as of July 16.
Practice basic health precautions, including frequent handwashing with soap and water, covering the nose and mouth when coughing, and avoiding obviously ill individuals. Avoid overcrowded areas such as nightclubs and consider using safe sexual practices such as physical barriers (condoms) in countries reporting mpox transmission. Seek medical attention if symptoms develop within two weeks of being in affected areas, especially if you have had one or more new sexual partners. Vaccines are available but limited.
Human-to-human transmission occurs among people in close physical contact, with the increase in recent cases linked to sexual contact suggesting that the virus linked to the disease can be sexually transmitted. The current outbreak highlights the importance of vigilant safe sexual practices and suggests mpox can be transmitted while the infected person displays few or no symptoms; however, the risk is currently assessed as low for individuals not routinely engaging with multiple or anonymous sexual partners.
Mpox does not naturally occur in Australia; most cases are reported in West and Central Africa, primarily in the DRC, Nigeria, and Cameroon, among individuals who report contact with wild primates or other mammals that may harbor the disease.
Mpox is caused by a virus belonging to the same family as the one that causes smallpox. However, mpox is not the same as smallpox and does not have the same capacity for rapid human-to-human transmission. Mpox is mainly transmitted to humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected rodents or primates. Human-to-human transmission primarily occurs through close personal contact with an infected individual via respiratory droplets, direct contact with bodily fluids, or indirect contact with lesion material (e.g., contaminated clothing or bedding). Symptoms typically appear 6-16 days after exposure but can develop up to 21 days after exposure. Symptoms generally include fever, headache, muscle aches and backaches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and a distinctive rash characterized by lesions that progress through several stages before falling off.
