CMO declares national monkeypox virus alert

Australia has declared monkeypox a communicable disease of national significance, opening the way for the commonwealth to take a lead in prevention.

Chief medical officer Paul Kelly. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Australia has declared monkeypox a communicable disease of national significance, opening the way for the commonwealth to take a lead in prevention, campaigning, and the provision of resources to support states facing outbreaks of the quickly spreading virus.

Chief medical officer Paul Kelly announced the decision, which was made under the Emergency Response Plan for Communicable Disease Incidents of National Significance following a resolution of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, which is made up of chief health officers from each state and territory.

It follows the World Health Organisation declaring monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern this week.

Since the beginning of this year, there have been 20,311 monkeypox cases in 71 countries that have not historically reported the virus, and 44 cases have been ­recorded in Australia, mostly among returned international travellers.

Monkeypox has been increasing in incidence in parts of Africa since the early 1970s, and is endemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but it began to spread outside Africa in May, initially in Britain. It has now been detected on all continents except Antarctica.

Monkeypox’s rash and flu-like symptoms are relatively mild, and in most cases resolve themselves within two to four weeks without the need for specific treatments.

It causes fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that forms very painful blisters. It may be mild or severe but is not fatal.

Professor Kelly said most cases of monkeypox in Australia had been among people aged between 21 and 40, and most cases globally had occurred among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.

“Although monkeypox is not usually considered a sexually transmissible infection, physical contact with an infected person during sexual intercourse carries a significant risk of transmission, and intimate physical contact – such as hugging, kissing and sexual activities – represent a risk of infection, with infectious skin sores being a likely mode of transmission,” Professor Kelly said.

“The rash usually occurs on the face before spreading to other parts of the body, including the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. However, in this outbreak it is being seen especially on the genital and perianal regions.

“The rash can vary from person to person and take on the appearance of pimples, blisters or sores. The flu-like symptoms often include fever, chills, body aches, headaches, swollen lymph nodes and tiredness.”

Australia has activated the National Incident Centre to co-ordinate the national response to the virus.

Stock of treatments for the virus will be made available to the states from the national medical stockpile.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group of Vaccines has updated its clinical guidance on vaccination against monkeypox, recommending one of two smallpox vaccines be given to key at-risk groups including gay and bisexual men, sex workers or people planning to travel to a country with a significant outbreak.

But the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations is calling for Australia to immediately procure supplies of a third-generation vaccine known as the Jynneos or MVA-BN vaccine. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said the government was attempting to source the vaccine but there were limited supplies and significant demand.

Meanwhile on Covid-19, the NSW department of health has revealed the nation’s first analysis of reinfection rates. An analysis of 639,430 cases of Covid-19 since January this year showed that about 20,000 cases, or 3.2 per cent, were reinfections.