ACT Health officials have identified two Monkeypox cases in Canberra.
Both are travellers who’ve recently returned from Europe and are experiencing mild symptoms while isolating at home.
Contract racing is underway but so far no high-risk contacts have been identified and authorities insist the transmission risk to the community is low.
ACT Chief Health Officer Kerryn Coleman said it is important to remember that monkeypox is rare and not easily spread between people, usually requiring direct skin-to-skin or prolonged face-to-face contact.
“Illness associated with the monkeypox virus is usually mild, although complications can occur,” Dr Coleman said.
“Symptoms may initially include fever, chills, muscle aches, backache, and swollen lymph nodes.
“Following these symptoms, a rash usually develops, that spreads to other parts of the body. The rash changes and goes through stages, like chickenpox, before finally becoming a scab.
“If you have these symptoms, you should stay at home and phone your GP clinic to organise a telehealth appointment in the first instance, or you can phone the Canberra Sexual Health Clinic on (02) 5124 2184.”
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