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New South Wales has reported a “probable” case of monkeypox in a traveler returning from Europe – the same day Australia recorded its first confirmed case of the rare disease in Victoria.
The man, in his 40s, developed a mild illness shortly after returning to Sydney, NSW Health said in a statement on Friday.
He presented to his GP with symptoms related to monkeypox.
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“Urgent testing has been conducted which today has identified a probable case of monkeypox, with confirmatory testing underway,” NSW Health said.
“The man and a household contact are isolating at home with care and support provided by their GP and NSW Health.”
According to Chief Health Officer Dr. Kerry Chant, monkeypox is a rare viral infection that does not easily spread between people.
“Cases are occasionally reported in non-endemic countries among returning travelers or their close contacts, or among owners of imported pets,” Chant said.
“People can contract monkeypox through very close contact with people who have the virus.
“The infection is usually a mild illness and most people recover within a few weeks.”
NSW Health said it will be working closely with colleagues across Australia to monitor cases.
Doctors and sexual health services will receive more information to raise awareness of the infection.
Australia is the latest country to report a case of the rare disease, with Italy, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal and the United States already grappling with monkeypox outbreaks.
The World Health Organization, already grappling with the coronavirus pandemic that has swept the world for the past three years, has called for vigorous contact tracing of the spate of cases.
What is monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a rare but dangerous infection belonging to the poxvirus family, which also includes the now-eradicated smallpox virus.
It is found in central and western Africa, often near tropical rainforests, and is thought to be endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it was first discovered in humans in 1970.
The virus is usually transmitted by a rodent or small mammal and cannot easily be passed from one person to another.
Experts suspect that the causative agent of monkeypox circulates in rodents – monkeys are so-called false hosts.
However, the monkeypox virus can spread through contact with bodily fluids, monkeypox wounds, or items such as clothing and bedding that have been contaminated with the virus.
“Once the lesions have healed, the scabs (possibly carrying infectious viruses) can be shed as dust that could be inhaled,” said Dr. Michael Skinner, who works at the Faculty of Medicine in the Department of Infectious Diseases at Imperial College London, in a statement.
It can also spread from person to person through respiratory droplets, typically in a confined space, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The disease is usually mild, although some cases can be fatal.
In Africa, about one in 10 people who contract monkeypox dies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, most people recover after two to four weeks.
Where does monkeypox spread?
Authorities are tracking several groups of monkeypox that have been reported over the past two weeks in several countries that do not normally report monkeypox.
“It’s not clear how people in these clusters were exposed to monkeypox, but cases include individuals who self-identify as men who have sex with men,” the CDC said in a news release.
“A lot of these worldwide reports of monkeypox cases occur in sexual networks,” said Dr. Inger Damon, director of the CDC Division of Pathogens and Serious Consequence Pathology, in the news release.
“However, healthcare providers should be alert for any rash that shows characteristics typical of monkeypox. We ask the public to contact their doctor if they have a new skin rash and are concerned about monkeypox.”
The recent pattern of cases in men who have had sex with men has raised questions among public health experts, as monkeypox is not considered a sexually transmitted infection.
According to the Swedish health authority, one person is infected in the greater Stockholm area.
“The person infected with the virus in Sweden is not seriously ill but is being treated,” infectious disease expert Klara Sonden said in a statement.
“We don’t yet know where the person got infected. Investigations into this are ongoing.”
A first monkeypox infection was also detected in Italy.
Lazio Region health chief Alessio D’Amato said on Facebook the case had been confirmed by Italy’s National Institute for Infectious Diseases.
The ANSA news agency reported that the infected man had returned from a trip to the Spanish Canary Islands and was isolated in a hospital in Rome.
The French Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that the first suspected case of the monkeypox virus on French territory had been found in the Paris/Ile-de-France region.
So far, four countries in Africa have reported cases of monkeypox in 2022 – Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria – according to the WHO.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Wednesday that one person there had become infected.
A resident of the state of northeastern Massachusetts was tested Tuesday, with CDC labs confirming monkeypox the following day.
The infected person had recently traveled to Canada by private transportation, the CDC found.
Canadian broadcaster CBC reported that health officials in Quebec were investigating whether there had been an outbreak of monkeypox after notifying a visitor to the province, who was later confirmed to have a case.
In Spain, according to the Europa Press news agency, eight infections were reported in the capital Madrid, citing health authorities.
In Portugal the newspaper Publicity reported that 20 people had been infected.
The number of cases detected in the UK has risen to nine, health officials said on Wednesday.
The first, spotted in early May, was a person who had recently traveled to Nigeria.
British authorities have advised the public to look out for injuries to her body.
Previous cases of monkeypox were mostly due to travel to areas in west and central Africa, according to the WHO.
The WHO said monkeypox had become more common in Nigeria in recent years.
A total of 558 suspected cases have been reported there since 2017.
Of these, 241 were confirmed and eight people died.
Monkeypox Symptoms
According to the CDC, the incubation period is about seven to 14 days.
Initial symptoms are typically flu-like, such as fever, chills, fatigue, headache, and muscle weakness, followed by swelling in the lymph nodes, which help the body fight infection and disease.
“One feature that distinguishes monkeypox infection from smallpox infection is the development of swollen lymph nodes,” the CDC said.
Next comes a widespread rash on the face and body, including the mouth and the palms and soles of the feet.
The painful, raised pox is pearly and fluid-filled, often surrounded by red circles.
The lesions eventually crust over and resolve over a period of two to three weeks, the CDC said.
“Treatment is generally supportive as no specific medications are available,” Jimmy Whitworth, a professor of international public health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said in a statement.
“However, a vaccine is available that can be administered to prevent disease development.”
What to do if you suspect monkeypox?
The general public and health clinics should be alert for unusual skin rashes and have them examined by professionals, the WHO said in a separate statement.
If monkeypox is suspected, patients should be isolated, the health department said.
There is no proven treatment for monkeypox, but doctors can treat its symptoms.
Anne Rimoin, an epidemiology professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, said supportive care was quite effective for the West African group.
In addition, she said, there were some experimental drugs that hadn’t been extensively tested in humans.
Doctors who suspect monkeypox should report it to the CDC, said Dr. Agam Rao, a CDC medical worker, as “possible treatments that could be made available to the patient are really only available after consultation with health authorities.”
Experts believe a smallpox vaccine could help relieve symptoms or prevent disease if given soon after infection.
Right now, Rao said, the risk to the general population is very low.
“I don’t want people to be too alarmed right now and change their behavior too much,” she said.
– With CNN, AAP, NBC
