First local monkeypox case recorded in NSW
The first case of locally-acquired monkeypox has been recorded in New South Wales, with authorities confirming that 42 people have been infected with the virus to date.
Although most contracted monkeypox overseas, two people were infected in other parts of Australia.
The announcement, made by NSW Health on Sunday, comes as a first for NSW a week after the JYNNEOS vaccination program was launched for those most at risk from the virus.
“NSW Health is urging the community, particularly gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), to continue to be vigilant for the symptoms of monkeypox following local transmission of the virus in NSW,” NSW Health said.
Symptoms - which include a rash or lesions around the genital area, headache, body aches and fever - commonly appear between seven to 14 days after prolonged skin-to-skin contact with an infected person.
Illness generally lasts for two to four weeks, with most experiencing mild symptoms that can be lessened with regular over-the-counter pain medicines and oral fluids and monitored by their GP, according to NSW Health. For those with severe illness, antiviral medications are also available.
“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,” NSW Health Executive Director of Health Protection Richard Broome said in a statement.
NSW Health also warns that monkeypox can also be transmitted by respiratory droplets during the initial infectious period and from contact with contaminated clothing, linen and other items.
The news comes after Victorian authorities reported monkeypox was spreading in Melbourne last week, which was the first widespread example of local transmission in Australia since the global outbreak began.
Prior to the 2022 outbreak, cases of monkeypox have mostly been reported in Central and Western African countries, with the first human case reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970.
According to the CDC, 41,358 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been recorded as of publication, with 40,971 reported in locations without any historical cases of the virus, with a total of 89 in Australia and four in New Zealand.
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