Australia’s Largest State Reports Sharp Rise in Mpox Infections

Health authorities in New South Wales (NSW), Australia’s most populous state, issued an alert on Friday in response to a significant rise in mpox cases.

NSW Health urged the public to remain vigilant for symptoms of mpox, previously known as monkeypox, amid an uptick in reported infections. Since the beginning of June, 93 cases of mpox have been confirmed in NSW.

Before June, there had been just one confirmed mpox case in the state, which has a population of 8.4 million, in 2024. In contrast, NSW recorded a combined total of 68 cases of the disease in 2022 and 2023.

Jeremy McAnulty, Executive Director of Health Protection at NSW Health, advised individuals experiencing mpox symptoms to consult a doctor, even if they have already been vaccinated. “Given the recent surge in cases, NSW Health is urging those at risk to remain alert for symptoms,” he stated.

McAnulty noted that some people might experience mild symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, mouth ulcers, or rectal pain. He emphasized that “mpox can spread to others until the lesions fully heal.”

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency in light of a severe mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

NSW Health also reported that over 15,000 mpox cases have been documented in central Africa this year, primarily attributed to the new clade 1b strain of the virus, which has not yet been detected in Australia.

The mpox vaccine is available for free in NSW to individuals considered to be at higher risk of contracting the disease.