( MENAFN - The Conversation) Australia appears to be experiencing a re-emergence of the infectious disease mpox , formerly called monkeypox. Some 40 cases have been recorded so far in 2024, already surpassing the total number recorded for 2023 (26). Victoria has reported 24 cases this year , while Queensland saw ten cases reported in May .
There was previously a significant mpox outbreak in 2022, with a total of 144 cases across Australia. All cases since 2022 have been in males, most commonly those aged 30 to 39. Mpox cases are on the rise elsewhere , too.
So what is mpox? And is there a vaccine available? Here's what to know about this virus. Mpox belongs to the orthopoxvirus family, which is also responsible for smallpox . Symptoms include fever and rash , typically starting on the hands, feet and face.
The genitals may also be affected. The rash is infectious until the lesions have scabbed over. There are two clades, or varieties, of mpox: clade I and clade II.
Up to 10% of people infected with clade I may die, compared to 1% or less of those infected with clade II. Traditionally, both clades of mpox have been endemic in countries in central and western Africa, where it transmits from animals to humans, and has occasionally caused human outbreaks. Mpox outbreaks began occurring outside Africa in 2018, with cases detected in the United Kingdom, Israel and Singapore in people travelling from Nigeria, which began experiencing outbreaks in 2017.
The 2022 epidemic spread to no.
