NSW has reported its first locally acquired case of monkeypox (MPX), as the World Health Organisation (WHO) is taking consultations over a possible name change for the virus.
One case was acquired in the state, while two were acquired elsewhere in Australia. The total cases identified in NSW is now 42.
In response, the NSW government urged the community, specifically men who have sex with other men, to be vigilent for MPX symptoms.
NSW health executive director of health protection Dr Richard Broome said vigilance should not be limited only to those returning from high-risk countries.
“Symptoms usually begin seven to 14 days after exposure through skin-to-skin contact and can include fever, headache, body aches and a rash or lesions on the genital area.
“It is important that people with these symptoms avoid close contact with others, including sexual activity, as condoms are not effective at preventing the transmission of monkeypox,” Broome said.
Meanwhile, in Victoria, there are mounting concerns over the state’s emergency departments, with reports of patients waiting in corridors for beds to be free.
Speaking to The Mandarin, former health secretary and honorary enterprise professor at the University of Melbourne Stephen Duckett said the pressures of MPX on the health system are relatively low at the moment, with the caveat the situation could change.
“The big pressure at the moment still is COVID,” Duckett said.
The spread of MPX also comes with a name change for the disease.
Earlier this month, the WHO opened consultation to the public for the renaming of the disease.
In the same announcement, WHO renamed two variants of MPX: the former Congo Basin (Central African) clade now called Clade one (I) and the former West African clade now Clade two (II).
The proposal of a name change is in response to racial connotations of the name ‘monkeypox’.
The Foreign Press Association Africa criticised media earlier this year for using images of black people for MPX stories, describing it as “a lack of nuance and empathy given to people suffering from this disease”.
OUR STATEMENT:
The Foreign Press Association, Africa registers its displeasure against media outlets using images of black people alongside stories of the #monkeypox outbreak in North America and the United Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/u32yWLELJg
— The Foreign Press Association, Africa(FPAA). (@FPA_Africa) May 21, 2022
The Department of Health on its website calls the disease “monkeypox” in the first instance, then consequently MPX.
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