Explained: Aussie monkeypox cases climb with more local infections
Monkeypox is on the rise in Australia, with the number of cases climbing by 32 in 13 days. Two states are hot spots with new locally acquired cases.
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Monkeypox is on the rise in Australia, with the number of cases climbing by 32 in 13 days – and a growing number of these have been locally transmitted.
Latest data from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care showed that as of August 18, there were 89 cases (confirmed and probable) of monkeypox in Australia.
By comparison, reporting on August 5 put the number of cases at 57.
These cases have been diagnosed in Australia and reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) by states and territories and do not include cases diagnosed overseas.
WHERE IS MONKEYPOX IN AUSTRALIA?
The breakdown of the latest case numbers include 40 in Victoria, 39 in NSW, three in Queensland, three in Western Australia, two in the ACT and two in South Australia.
However NSW Health reporting on Sunday put the number of cases in NSW at 42, and confirmed some of these were locally transmitted – one in NSW and two others in other parts of Australia.
WHO SHOULD BE ON ALERT?
State health departments in both NSW and Victoria have issued health alerts urging vigilance for symptoms, particularly for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). While monkeypox is not a STI, the outbreak has been more common in the GBMSM community.
NSW Health Executive Director of Health Protection Dr Richard Broome said the recently diagnosed locally transmitted case highlighted the importance of people remaining vigilant for symptoms regardless of whether they have visited high-risk environments overseas.
“Men who have sex with men who are returning from overseas should contact their GP or local sexual health clinic for a check-up when they return as symptoms of monkeypox can be mild,” he said.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF MONKEYPOX?
“Symptoms usually begin seven to 14 days after exposure through skin-to-skin contact and can include fever, headache, body aches and a rash or lesions on the genital area.
“It is important that people with these symptoms avoid close contact with others, including sexual activity, as condoms are not effective at preventing the transmission of monkeypox.”
On Saturday Victoria’s Deputy Chief Health Officer of Communicable Disease Associate Professor Deborah Friedman updated the state’s monkeypox health alert, confirming “the number of people diagnosed with monkeypox in Victoria is increasing due to local transmission.”
“While many Australian cases acquired their infection overseas, the number of people acquiring their infection in Victoria is increasing,” she said in the health alert.
“Severe illness is unusual but may develop in a small percentage of people with monkeypox. Timely contact tracing and surveillance measures are essential to prevent secondary cases.
“While the current outbreak has disproportionately impacted men who have sex with men, anyone who has been in close and usually prolonged intimate contact with someone with monkeypox is at risk.”
HOW IS MONKEYPOX SPREAD?
Monkeypox may be spread from person-to-person through skin-to-skin contact, contact with contaminated items or surfaces, and respiratory droplets.
“People with monkeypox are infectious from the time that they develop their first symptoms (which may be a fever or a rash) and until rash lesions crust, dry or fall off,” Professor Friedman said in the health alert.
WHAT VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA?
The Federal Government has secured 450,000 doses of the third generation monkeypox vaccine Jynneos from international vaccine company Bavarian Nordic.
Last week it tolled out the first 22,000 doses to state and territory health departments, which are managing the vaccine rollout. This is being done primarily through sexual health clinics. The remainder of the vaccine stock is expected to arrive in Australia in stages this year and in 2023.
As part of its response to the outbreak, which began in May this year, the government has also set up a National Monkeypox Taskforce which will provide leadership and policy advice on community engagement, clinical management, education and prevention.
This is the first time monkeypox has ever been detected in Australia. In July, Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly declared monkeypox a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance and activated the National Incident Centre to provide a national response.
WHAT IS THE WHO’S ADVICE ON MONKEYPOX?
This followed the World Health OrganiSation (WHO) declaring the global monkeypox situation to be a public health emergency of international concern.
And while the number of cases might not seem high, especially when looked at through a Covid lens, it is significant, especially when considered in the context of Australia’s neighbours.
WHERE IS MONKEYPOX AROUND THE WORLD?
According to the WHO, as at August 18, there were 15 cases in Singapore, and four each in Japan and New Zealand.
Other countries around the world now have cases in the thousands, including the US (12,743 cases) Spain (5792), Germany (3242), the UK (3195), France (2749) and Brazil (3184).
Symptoms of monkeypox include a fever, a distinctive rash that looks like tiny blisters, which can occur on any part of the body including the face, and swollen lymph nodes. Those who have recently returned from overseas, or who have been in contact with a case here in Australia, and who develop any of these symptoms should be particularly alert and seek medical advice immediately.
HOW CAN YOU PREVENT THE SPREAD OF MONKEYPOX?
Associate Professor Paul Griffin, director of Infectious Diseases at Mater Health Services, and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Queensland, said prevention and awareness were key measures.
“Given this virus is so different to Covid-19, the measures required to manage it are quite different,” he said.
“The number one priority is finding cases as early as possible. This should hopefully be improved if the general public as well as clinicians understand who is currently at greatest risk and what symptoms to look out for.
“If anyone is at all suspicious they may be infected, the first step should be to contact the appropriate authorities to alert them and facilitate testing. This could your local GP, local public health unit or hospital potentially depending on where you are. Cases should then isolate as directed by their relevant public health units.”
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