Third case of monkeypox identified in NSW
A third case of monkeypox has been identified in New South Wales.
NSW Health said the man in his 50s developed a mild illness several days after arriving back in Sydney from Europe.
He went to his doctor who found his symptoms were "clinically compatible" with monkeypox, which was later confirmed via testing.
He is currently isolating at home.
EXPLAINED: What is monkeypox and what are its symptoms?
A electron microscopic (EM) image depicts a monkeypox virion, obtained from a clinical sample associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. It was a thin section image from of a human skin sample. On the left were mature, oval-shaped virus particles, and on the right were the crescents, and spherical particles of immature virions. High Resolution: Click here for hi-resolution image (5.21 MB) Content Providers(s): CDC/ Cynthia S. Goldsmith Creation Date: 2003 Photo Credit: Cynthia S. Goldsmi AP
"NSW Health is undertaking contact tracing and providing appropriate health advice to any contacts identified," NSW Health said in a statement.
The case is not connected to the two previous cases reported in the state.
Yesterday's case was a man who had returned to Sydney from Queensland.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant has praised the work of GPs, like the one who diagnosed this man, as monkeypox had never been identified in NSW prior to last month.
"Monkeypox does not present a transmission risk to the general community, and has until recently not been an infection most clinicians in NSW would have been looking for or concerned about in their patients," Chant said.
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Monkeypox is endemic to part of Africa however cases have been reported from non-endemic countries since May this year.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said monkeypox symptoms are "very similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe".
It is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, the WHO said.
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