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Topics: Australia
Charisa Bossinakis
Monkeypox is suspected of landing in Australia after a man is said to have contracted the virus from Europe.
News.com.au reports that a Sydney man aged in his 40s visited his GP after returning home, who suspected the bloke had contracted the smallpox-like disease.
NSW Health identified the ‘probable case’, as the man very recently returned from Europe when he developed mild symptoms upon arrival.
He and his household contact are currently isolated at home.
Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said that due to the recent case of monkeypox, they have alerted health authorities to keep an eye out for possible symptoms to avoid an outbreak.
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She said: “NSW Health has issued a clinician alert to GPs and hospitals across the state, and has also been in contact with sexual health services to increase awareness of the cases identified overseas and to provide advice on diagnosis and referral.
“We will be speaking with GPs about this issue again today.”
The news follows British health authorities detecting a ‘rare and unusual’ case of men in London who were seemingly ill with the disease and had no history of travelling to African countries, where the disease is prevalent'.
7 News reports that earlier this week, the UK’s Health Security Agency revealed an investigation was underway to find out how the men had become infected and if they knew each other.
Last week, the UK reported three cases of monkeypox, including two people from the same household and the other who had previously travelled to Nigeria.
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Chief Medical Adviser for the UK's Health Security Agency Dr Susan Hopkins said: "The evidence suggests that there may be transmission of the monkeypox virus in the community, spread by close contact.”
Although monkeypox isn’t known as a sexually transmitted disease, the men found in London with the smallpox-like disease were either gay or bisexual.
Ms Hopkins also added: "We are particularly urging men who are gay and bisexual to be aware of any unusual rashes or lesions and to contact a sexual health service without delay."
According to the NSW Health website, the unusual disease is a mild form of smallpox and causes excruciating, ugly blisters and rashes over the body.
The viral disease is highly infectious and spreads through body fluids or close face-to-face contact in breath droplets.