Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) has announced two cases of community transmission of Monkeypox in New Zealand.
The cases are now self-isolating and contact tracing has begun, a Te What Ora spokesperson said.
According to Burnett Foundation Aotearoa, three key points to remember are:
1 | MONKEYPOX CAN AFFECT ANYONE – BUT GAY AND BI GUYS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED
2 | MONKEYPOX IS NOT CLASSIFIED AS AN STI –BUT SEXUAL CONTACT IS THE PRIMARY MODE OF TRANSMISSION IN THE CURRENT OUTBREAK
3 | YOU CAN GET MONKEYPOX WITHOUT ANY CLOSE PHYSICAL CONTACT – BUT IT’S HIGHLY UNLIKELY
4 | IF YOU CONTRACT MONKEYPOX, YOU NEED TO SELF-ISOLATE FOR 2-4 WEEKS – UNTIL THE LESIONS’ CRUSTS FALL OFF.
If you develop lesions or a rash then seek medical advice by contacting Healthline on 0800 611 116.
There is currently a total of 11 confirmed cases of Monkeypox in New Zealand.
There have been nearly 70,000 confirmed cases of Monkeypox across the world, with 25 deaths associated to infection. However, international infection rates of Monkeypox have begun to decrease.