GLOBAL INCREASE IN MONKEYPOX CASES

What is monkeypox? According to NSW Health, monkeypox is a rare viral infection generally associated with travel to Central and West Africa. It is usually spread by very close contact with someone with monkeypox and most people recover within a few weeks. Since May, there has been a global increase in cases reported from multiple countries where monkeypox is not usually seen.

From 13 May to 2 June,

780 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported or identified by the World Health Organisation, from 27 non-endemic countries. Monkeypox spreads from one person to another through prolonged close contact (by inhaling the infected droplets), or direct contact with infected bodily fluids, lesions or scabs on the skin, or contaminated objects, such as bedding or clothes. It may also be passed on by direct contact during sex. It does not spread via casual contact. The illness typically lasts for 2-4 weeks and is mild. Symptoms usually begin with fever, headache, body aches, swollen lymph nodes and chills. Within 1 to 3 days (sometimes longer) after the appearance of fever, the patient develops a rash, often beginning as sores in the mouth and on the face then spreading to other parts of the body. Lesions start as a flat red rash that develops into pustules which crust and fall off. The WHO recommends patients with monkeypox should be given symptomatic treatment for mild symptoms such as antipyretics for fever and analgesics for pain. Skin lesions should be kept clean. The WHO says it is working with experts to officially rename monkeypox, amid concerns over stigma and racism and the “discriminatory” name of the virus.