Most populous Australian state issues warning over spike in mpox cases

Kenya's Mpox cases rise to nine amid heightened disease prevention efforts

SYDNEY — Health authorities in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, have urged people at risk of contracting mpox to get vaccinated amid a spike in cases.

New South Wales (NSW) Health on Thursday reported that there have been 433 confirmed cases of mpox in the state since June 1, the largest outbreak in NSW since its first case of the infectious disease was confirmed in May 2022.

Of those cases, 37 per cent were fully inoculated -- having received two doses of a vaccine, 14 per cent had received one dose and 46 per cent were not vaccinated, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The rapidly rising numbers of mpox cases detected across the state are very concerning, with 26 people requiring hospitalisation due to the severity of their symptoms," Kerry Chant, NSW's chief health officer, said in a statement.

Also read: Prioritising Needs of Children Not Only Necessary But Urgent: UNICEF on Mpox

"The majority of cases of hospitalisation have been among people who are unvaccinated or have received only one dose of vaccine. While cases of mpox are occurring in vaccinated people, the cases tend to be milder and for a shorter period."

She said that no cases of the fast-spreading clade 1b strain of mpox that has been circulating in Central and West Africa have been detected in Australia.

Authorities in Victoria, Australia's second most populous state, reported there had been 120 confirmed mpox cases since the start of April till August. Australia recorded 26 confirmed mpox cases in 2023.

Kenya's Mpox cases rise to nine amid heightened disease prevention efforts

Nairobi — Kenya's Ministry of Health confirmed one more Mpox case, raising the total count in the country to nine as the government strengthened public health response to the disease.

Deborah Barasa, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Health, said on Wednesday in a statement released in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that the case had been confirmed in Nakuru, some 160 km northwest of the capital.

"The new case is a male aged 37, who travelled to Rwanda and Uganda," Barasa said, noting that "no deaths have been reported among the confirmed cases."

She added that the ministry's surveillance efforts remain robust and had tracked 68 contacts, among whom 61 had been monitored for the recommended 21 days, Xinhua news agency reported.

Barasa revealed that the ministry had cumulatively screened nearly 1.13 million travellers at 26 points of entry.

She called for vigilance, noting that it was vital for protecting communities from the spread of the disease.

According to Barasa, the ministry has intensified surveillance, risk communication and community engagement to combat stigma and curb infections.

Barasa noted on Tuesday that the ministry is working to secure Mpox vaccines for high-risk populations.

The vaccines are expected to arrive in the country in December, as Kenya is one of the five African nations set to receive 50,000 doses of Mpox vaccine as part of the World Health Organisation-led global efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.

Besides Kenya, other African countries with Mpox cases include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Cameroon, Liberia, the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, Guinea, Gabon and Rwanda.