Date issued: 07 July 2022 (update to 01 July 2022)
Issued by: Associate Professor Deborah Friedman, Deputy Chief Health Officer Communicable Disease
Issued to: Health professionals
Key messages
- Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus.
- There is currently a multi-country outbreak of monkeypox.
- Monkeypox may be spread from person-to-person through skin-to-skin contact, contact with contaminated items or surfaces, and respiratory droplets.
- To date there have been six unrelated cases notified in Victoria.
- The sixth case is a man in his 30s who travelled to Europe and is isolating away from the community.
- As local transmission is occurring in Australia, anyone developing symptoms that may be consistent with monkeypox should seek medical care, wearing a mask and calling ahead to make sure they can be isolated away from others.
- While the current outbreak has disproportionately impacted men who have sex with men, it is important to note that monkeypox can affect anyone who comes into prolonged contact with someone with monkeypox.
- Clinicians should consider testing for monkeypox in anyone with compatible symptoms and at risk of infection, particularly returned travellers.
- Monkeypox is an urgent notifiable condition, in accordance with Victorian statutory requirements.
- Read the full Alert: Health warning on monkeypox.
