Key Points
- Mpox is on the rise in Australia, with more than 275 cases recorded in September as of Friday.
- The virus was declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization in August.
- Experts say eligible people should get vaccinated.
Mpox has spread increasingly in parts of the world over the past two years, but cases in Australia have remained low.
Now the numbers are rising, with more than 600 reports in the current quarter, compared to just six in the first three months of the year.
The virus was declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization in August, and experts say people at risk of infection should remain vigilant.
Here’s what we know.
Is mpox increasing in Australia and should we be concerned?
According to the government’s National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System, 748 cases have been reported in 2024 at the time of writing. In 2023, there have been a total of 26 cases.
NSW and Victoria had the most cases, with 407 and 255 respectively. Queensland reported 61 cases, while the ACT reported 15.
South Australia and Western Australia reported seven and two cases respectively, while the Northern Territory recorded one. Tasmania is the only jurisdiction without cases.
CSIRO Health and Biosafety virologist Dr Nias Peng said while the increase in cases is not a cause for panic, it should be taken seriously.
“I think it’s something Australians should be concerned about but not panic about,” he said.
“Stay vigilant and be aware of the symptoms and how they can be transmitted and spread between people.”
Peng said he believed the virus had been underestimated in Australia.
“It seems like the general consensus among the public is that it’s not a big deal so far,” he said.
“But it’s a mistake to assume… because that’s how you end up causing a massive spread of disease within the population.”
Dr Matt Mason, senior lecturer in nursing at the University of the Sunshine Coast, said for some members of the community at risk of infection – such as men who have sex with men – access Access to medical care can also be a problem.
“What we’re seeing is this increase in mpox in a particular population and that population is being marginalized,” he said.
“When people have a good relationship with their medical provider, most people get vaccinated, but a significant proportion do not do so due to a lack of trust in the health care system.”
He added that some people might not be comfortable seeking health care or vaccines if they have previous bad experiences with the medical system.
“Vaccines are available here in Australia and we have a very good sexual health network, but the problem is getting people to access it,” he said.
“In particular, groups of men who have sex with men have not been well supported in the past by the health system. So there is some stigma, particularly if people don’t self-identify. not as homosexuals, they don’t feel like they fit into that kind of category.”
As of Friday, 275 cases of mpox had been recorded in September, a new monthly peak for Australia.
The vast majority of the 2,024 cases are in men, with only three women diagnosed.
Most new cases have been transmitted locally rather than by people coming from abroad.
Who should get the mpox vaccine in Australia?
Eligible people can access mpox vaccines for free in Australia.
Vaccination is recommended for men who have sex with men, sex workers, and healthcare and laboratory personnel at risk of exposure.
Those who have close physical contact with an infected person or who are immunocompromised are also considered high risk.
Anyone at risk who plans to travel to a country with a significant outbreak should be vaccinated four to six weeks before travel.
The best time to receive the vaccine is before being exposed to mpox.
Eligible groups can be vaccinated for free without requiring a Medicare card.
Nearly 23,000 vaccines have been administered in Australia since January, according to data from the Australian Immunization Registry.
What is mpox?
Mpox is a viral zoonotic disease and belongs to the same family as that responsible for smallpox.
Signs and symptoms may include a distinctive rash or lesions, swollen lymph nodes, headache or fever, muscle pain, joint pain, back pain, chills, and exhaustion.
The virus can be transmitted through intimate or prolonged physical contact, close contact with skin rashes, body fluids (including droplets from coughing or sneezing), and contaminated objects such as sheets and towels.
Symptoms usually disappear after two to four weeks for most people, but some may become seriously ill.
There are two main variations of mpox; clade 1 and clade 2. Clade 1 generally causes more severe disease, while clade 2 is a less severe infection.
The Australian cases are a clade 2 variant.
Associate Professor Oyelola Adegboye, from Charles Darwin University’s Menzies School of Health Research, said while the variant in Australia is less serious than some overseas, it must be taken seriously.
He said anyone at risk of contracting the virus should get vaccinated.
“I don’t think this disease is going anywhere… there will be outbreaks from time to time, and that’s why people at risk or working in the (medical) field should get vaccinated and prepare,” he declared.
“If 1b appears in Australia, it would be really concerning because it is highly contagious and serious.”
Mpox was declared a global health emergency in August when a new strain called clade 1b began spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries.
The strain is considered deadlier and more transmissible, but does not appear to have reached Australia yet.
