17 Sep 2024 | 03:22 PM UTC
Australia: Elevated monkeypox (mpox) activity reported in multiple areas in September /update 5
Elevated monkeypox (mpox) activity reported in multiple areas across Australia in September. Maintain basic health precautions.
Australian health officials have reported elevated monkeypox (mpox) activity in multiple areas, with an additional 228 mpox cases reported Aug. 30-Sept. 17, bringing the total to 581 mpox cases since April 1. This is compared to the 26 cases reported nationwide in 2023. New South Wales (304 cases) is the most affected state, followed by Victoria (210 cases), Queensland (44 cases), the Australian Capital Territory (14 cases), South Australia (6 cases), Western Australia (2 cases), and the Northern Territory (1). The Clade IIb strain has caused all infections reported to date; therefore, cases are not connected to the more severe clade Ib spreading in east and central Africa. Health officials encourage anyone at higher risk of the disease to get vaccinated. 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 Sept. 17.
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.
On Aug. 14, the WHO declared the mpox outbreak in Africa a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The African region has seen an unprecedented increase in mpox cases since early 2024, with previously unaffected countries like Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda reporting cases. The WHO's declaration aims to prompt a coordinated international response, improve surveillance, accelerate vaccine distribution, enhance public health measures, and mobilize resources to control the outbreak.
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.
