Monkeypox Scare: Australians warned to be on high alert against virus' symptoms

Amid an alarming number of new monkeypox cases in Australia, health authorities have warned people to be on high alert for monkeypox symptoms. According to the Daily Mail, after 40 cases were found to be locally acquired, health authorities raced to find the source of the spread of monkeypox, which was first detected in Australia in May.

Since then, there have been 129 cases recorded across the country, 67 in Victoria -- 40 of which were locally spread, 50 in New South Wales, five in Western Australia, three in Queensland, two in the Australian Capital Territory and two in South Australia, the report said.

Most of Australia's cases have been "imported" from travellers returning home from overseas holidays, but data from Victoria shows a worrying new trend of the virus moving and spreading in the local community. As per the report, eight people are receiving hospital monkeypox treatment in Victoria from a total of 17 active cases. ALSO READ: Heart attack vs cardiac arrest: Doctors explain the surge

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the current fatality rate of monkeypox is between three and six per cent but has historically reached as high as 11 per cent, so about one in ten people die from the disease.

Australian authorities are attempting to slow the rate of spread through the use of a smallpox vaccine called Jynneos. ALSO READ: Vaccinated people infected by Omicron have four times greater protection

However, global supplies of the jab have been scarce since smallpox was eradicated, with Bavarian Nordic in Denmark being the only manufacturer of the specific vaccine. Due to the historic use of smallpox vaccines, it is believed people aged over 40 have higher protection against monkeypox.