Australia has experienced a fast rise in mpox cases in the last three months, with one health expert worrying that low vaccination rates may be causing the increase outside of cities.
So far this year, 737 instances have been reported, the vast majority of which occurred in the last few months.
In comparison, 26 cases were reported last year and 144 in 2022. The majority of this year’s new instances occurred in the southeastern states, with only two cases confirmed to be female.
A representative for the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care told AFP that instances have been increasing since May of this year.
Australia has responded by easing vaccination restrictions, making “people of all ages who are at risk of exposure to mpox” eligible.
Matthew Shields, a Sydney sexual health expert and GP, told national broadcaster ABC that the virus was being identified outside of metropolitan regions, where vaccination rates are lower.
Mpox is caused by a virus that infects animals and can potentially spread from person to person through close personal contact.
It can be fatal in some cases, causing fever, muscle pains, and big boil-like sores on the skin.
The virus acquired international attention in May 2022, when clade 2b spread around the world, primarily harming gay and bisexual men.
In July 2022, the World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the highest degree of alert.
Australia has yet to report a case of the new clade 1b type of mpox, which is considered more hazardous.