The second Australian case of a new strain of mpox virus has been detected in south-east Queensland.
Queensland Health confirmed yesterday a patient with the clade 1 mpox strain — known to cause more severe illness — was being treated at Logan Hospital in the Metro South Hospital and Health Service area.
Mpox is a viral infection with typically mild symptoms, including fever, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a rash or lesions.
In a statement, the department said there was a low danger of the virus spreading.
“The community can be assured that exposure to members of the community has been very limited and the public should not be concerned,” it said.
“Mpox does not spread easily between people and is mainly spread through very close or intimate contact with someone infected.”
Contact tracing underway
Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the infection was acquired in central Africa and contact tracing was underway.
“He was not contagious on the return journey to Australia from Africa and those close contacts that he has been in contact with, including at the emergency ward and in other locations, are being contact traced right now and identified,” Mr Nicholls said.
He said the department had identified 19 community contacts, including members of the man’s family, and 40 hospital staff contacts.
Head of infectious diseases at the Princess Alexandra Hospital Doctor Geoffrey Playford said he did not expect the number of community cases to increase.
Dr Geoffrey Playford says the number of infected people is unlikely to increase. (ABC News: Will Murray)
“We’re fortunate in this case that the clinical presentation is relatively mild,” Dr Playford said.
“The patient is doing very well and there’s no particular concerns for their health.”
Dr Playford said healthcare staff at Logan Hospital were practising “good personal protection” and the risk to workers was low.
“We’re really taking a more precautionary approach because of the fact that it’s clade 1, because of the national guidelines that we’re obviously going to be following.”
Vaccines in ‘ample’ supply
High-risk groups, including all sexually active gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men, and their partners, are eligible for free vaccines through sexual health clinics and general practitioners.
Queensland experienced supply shortages of the mpox vaccine in 2022, with just 300 doses available during an influx of cases.
High-risk groups are elegible for free mpox vaccines through sexual health clinics and GPs. (Reuters: Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
Mr Nicholls said there were now no supply issues with the mpox vaccine in Queensland.
“Over a year ago there were some restrictions on the availability of the vaccine, but Queensland has ample supplies of the vaccine and the vaccine is provided free of charge through sexual health clinics and some GPs,” he said.
The virus was first detected in Australia in 2022, with the first case of the clade 1 strain confirmed in New South Wales in May this year.
Last year, Queensland recorded 127 cases of mpox.
Anyone who suspects they may have the virus should call ahead before attending health facilities so appropriate safety measure can be put in place.