Australia reports ‘probable’ case of monkeypox in returned traveller from Europe

New South Wales has reported a “probable” case of monkeypox in a returned traveller from Europe – the same day Australia recorded its first confirmed case of the rare illness in Victoria.

The man in his 40s developed a mild illness shortly after his return to Sydney, NSW Health said in a statement on Friday.

He presented to his GP with symptoms associated with monkeypox.

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“Urgent testing was carried out which has today 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 being provided by their GP and NSW Health.”

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant says monkeypox is a rare viral infection that does not spread easily between people.

“Cases are occasionally reported in non-endemic countries in returning travellers or their close contacts, or in owners of imported pets,” Chant said.

“People can contract monkeypox through very close contact with people who are infected with the virus.

“The infection is usually a mild illness and most people recover within a few weeks.”

NSW Health said it would work closely with colleagues throughout Australia to monitor for cases.

Doctors and sexual health services will be getting more information to help increase 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 dealing with the monkeypox outbreak.

The World Health Organisation, already busy with the coronavirus pandemic which has struck the world over 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 that belongs to the family of poxviruses, which also includes the now eradicated smallpox virus.

It occurs in Central and West Africa, often in proximity to tropical rainforests, and is considered endemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it was first discovered in humans in 1970.

The virus is usually contracted from a rodent or small mammal, and it does not easily spread from one person to another.

Experts suspect that the pathogen that causes monkeypox circulates in rodents – monkeys are so-called false hosts.

However, the monkeypox virus can spread through contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores, or items such as clothing and bedding that have been contaminated with the virus.

“When the lesions have healed, the scabs (which might carry infectious virus) can be shed as dust, which could be inhaled,” said Dr Michael Skinner, who is on the faculty of medicine in the department of infectious disease at Imperial College London, in a statement.

It can also spread from person to person through respiratory droplets, typically in a close setting, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

The illness is usually mild, though some cases can be fatal.

In Africa, around one in 10 people who contract monkeypox die, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Most people, though, recover after two to four weeks.

Where is monkeypox spreading?

Authorities are tracking multiple clusters of monkeypox that have been reported within the past two weeks in several countries that don’t normally report monkeypox.

“It’s not clear how people in those clusters were exposed to monkeypox but cases include individuals who self-identify as men who have sex with men,” the CDC said in a press release.

“Many of these global reports of monkeypox cases are occurring within sexual networks,” Dr Inger Damon, Director of CDC’s Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, said in the press release.

“However, healthcare providers should be alert to any rash that has features typical of monkeypox. We’re asking the public to contact their healthcare provider if they have a new rash and are concerned about monkeypox.”

The recent pattern of cases among men who’ve had sex with men has raised questions among public health experts, since monkeypox is not considered a sexually transmitted infection.

According to the Swedish Public Health Agency, one person is infected in the greater Stockholm area.

“The person infected with the virus in Sweden is not seriously ill but is receiving treatment,” infectious disease expert Klara Sonden said…