A total of 11 monkeypox cases have now been recorded in NSW, including two health authorities believe caught the virus within the state.
NSW Health said on Wednesday afternoon it believed local transmission of the virus may be occurring, particularly among men who have sex with men.
“People need to be aware of the symptoms of monkeypox, which can include fever, headache, body aches and a rash or lesions on the genital area,” NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty said.
“So far, in the cases we have seen in NSW, monkeypox is not presenting the way some people expect, such as an extensive rash or lesions all over the body.
“It could just be a couple of what seem to be pimples in the genital area or buttocks, so people need to pay careful attention to any potential symptoms. Most of our cases to date have presented to sexual health clinics, rather than GPs.”
The total number of cases of the virus recorded by the state was previously five.
McAnulty asked people concerned about symptoms to book in to a GP or sexual health service for an appointment, call ahead to advise of their symptoms and wear a mask.
The world is experiencing an unusually large outbreak of monkeypox, a virus similar to smallpox which is endemic in central and western Africa. The first case was detected in a British man who had recently spent time in Nigeria.
Cases have mostly been recorded in gay and bisexual men, with health authorities urging men spending time at large parties or sex on-premises venues to be alert to symptoms.
As of June 22, the World Health Organisation had received notifications of 3413 laboratory-confirmed cases of the virus this year, from 50 countries, after the size of the global outbreak more than quadrupled in the previous three weeks.
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