Mpox cases in Australia less severe than in Africa. Here’s what to know about the strain spreading here

Western Australia AND Victoria both issued health warnings this week over cases of mpox. Western Australia has recorded two cases, while Victoria has recorded 125 cases so far this year. Novel South Wales, which has recorded 135 cases, also released public health announcement on mpox this month.

All over the country, 306 cases recorded so far in 2024 – 198 of them since the beginning of July. By comparison, there have been 144 cases in the whole of 2022, and 26 in 2023.

The cases of mpox in Australia are different to those spreading in Africa, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a public health emergency of international concern last week.

Fortunately, those infected in Australia have a milder strain of the virus. But it’s still crucial to know what to look out for.

Looking back

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a disease caused by monkeypox virus. It comes from the same family as smallpox. Symptoms include fever and rash that tend to affect anus and genital area, chest and back, face and head, and hands and feet.

Until recently, mpox was almost always found in West and Central Africa. There have been outbreaks outside this area, such as one in United States in 2003. But in May 2022There was a major outbreak of MPox that spread rapidly to many countries, including some where MPox is not normally found, such as Australia.

As a result, in July 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) decided the outbreak was deemed a public health emergency of international concern.

Emergency classification has been erected in May 2023, as there was a significant decline in cases after countries tightened control measures such as surveillance and vaccinations.

So the declaration of a public health emergency last week is actually the second WHO announcement regarding mpox. But it concerns a different strain of the virus.

Clades and substrata

Mpox virus can be divided into two variants or “clades”: clade I and clade II. Clade I, found primarily in central Africa, is a much more severe disease with a mortality rate of up to 10%. Clade II is found primarily in western Africa and is much milder, with a mortality rate of less than 1%.

Clade II can be further divided into clade IIa and clade IIb. It is clade IIb mpox that caused the major epidemic in 2022 that we are currently seeing in Australia.

In the second half of 2023, a novel clade I subclade was discovered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Clade Ib first of all he touched Democratic Republic of the Congo, with approximately 70% of suspected cases in children under 15 years of age. The epidemic has also spread to neighboring East African countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

The mortality rate for the Clade Ib epidemic is still being determined. But in Democratic Republic of the CongoBy the end of May, 7,851 cases and 384 deaths had been reported. This suggests a case fatality rate of around 5%.

Outside Africa, cases have recently been discovered Sweden AND Thailand.

Due to the rapid spread of clade Ib cases in Africa and the risk of its wider spread, on 14 August WHO declared this outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

Clade I vs. Clade II

Due to the higher mortality rate, clade I infections tend to more serious generally. They are said to be associated with higher rates of complications, such as encephalitis, pneumonia, respiratory failure, and secondary bacterial infections. Patients often experience more intense skin rashes, larger lesions, and more swollen lymph nodes.

In the laboratory, different clades are distinguished using real-time methods. polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a technique similar to that used in COVID tests.

As regards way of spreadingFor clade I, the rate of person-to-person transmission is higher, especially through respiratory droplets and close contact.

Clade II has a lower rate of person-to-person transmission. It is transmitted primarily sexually, primarily affecting men who have sex with men. All but one 476 cases mpox registered in Australia as of 2022 were men.

Should we be worried?

Clade IIb mpox, which first hit us in 2022, is on the rise again in Australia, but public health authorities should be able to contain it. The more severe clade Ib is likely to hit Australia in the next few months. It could spread to the heterosexual community or children, but the risk seems low. And luckily mpox is much less portable than COVID.

Australia’s public health system is powerful and has built excellent relationships with the LGBTQ+ community during the HIV epidemic. Through testing of at-risk groups (including sex workers), good contact tracing and vaccinations, we have managed control outbreak in 2022. There is no reason why a similar response would not work if we saw an outbreak of clade Ib mpox in Australia.

Effective Vaccine is available against smallpox and all variants of mpox. Although there seems to be a worldwide lack In terms of MPox vaccines, we currently have supplies in Australia.

Here is the vaccine It is recommended for groups at risk of exposure to the virus, including sexually energetic gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men, and sex workers.

The most characteristic feature of mpox is a rash, which may include fluid-filled blisters, a compact raised area on the skin containing pus, pimples, sores or lesions. Other symptoms may be similar to COVID or flu. If you feel unwell and have potentially been exposed to mpox, consult your GP.