08 Aug 2024 | 02:56 PM UTC
Australia: Elevated monkeypox (mpox) activity reported in multiple areas in early August /update 3
Elevated monkeypox (mpox) activity reported in multiple areas in Australia in early August. Maintain basic health precautions.
Australian health officials have reported elevated monkeypox (mpox) activity in multiple areas, with an additional 81 mpox cases reported July 17-Aug. 8, bringing the total to 206 mpox cases since April 1. This is compared to the 26 cases reported nationwide in 2023. Victoria (97 cases) is the most affected, followed by New South Wales (75 cases), Queensland (18 cases), Australian Capital Territory (11 cases), and South Australia (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 Aug. 8.
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 monkeypox 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.
Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. Mpox is mainly transmitted to humans through direct contact with infected individuals (including intimate or sexual contact), infected animals, or through contact with contaminated materials. 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 3-17 days after exposure but can develop up to 21 days after exposure. Symptoms generally include fever, headache, muscle and back aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and a distinctive rash characterized by lesions that progress through several stages before falling off.
