Seven new cases of MPOX (formerly known as Monkeypox) have been confirmed in Auckland since late December. Body Positive’s Mark Fisher breaks down the best ways to avoid catching and spreading MPOX.
MPOX is back in NZ with seven new cases. How concerned should YOUR EX readers be?
MPOX has been downgraded from a global health emergency but it is here to stay and there will likely be ongoing cases. There are ongoing outbreaks in Asia — in Japan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and China as well as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and occasionally these will spread internationally and perhaps reach New Zealand. As we saw with the first round of mpox it disappears fairly quickly as mpox has a short infectious period where transmissions can happen. With the local cases over the festive season it would be wise to watch for symptoms if you have had sexual contact with casual partners and get tested (they will need to swab an open lesion) through your GP or Sexual health. Transmission is mainly through sexual contact with open lesions that are infectious but these may be inside the mouth or anus and not noticeable.
What are the best precautions to take to protect oneself from MPOX?
Continue to enjoy summer. Keep an eye out for symptoms. MPOX is effectively in the same category as other STIs such as Chlamydia or syphilis. Be aware of symptoms – A new rash or lesions are the main concern as these can be painful and need management. If you have undiagnosed HIV you could have the worst outcomes from mpox – if you haven’t had an HIV test recently this might be a good time for a checkup. There is a vaccine that sexual health is providing – get in touch with your local sexual health clinic if you think you may be at risk.
And if worse comes to worse and you catch MPOX what do symptoms and treatment look like?
If you do catch MPOX the initial symptoms are of a flu-like illness with fever, malaise, headache, and fatigue often accompanied by swelling of lymph nodes. The only way to know for sure is to get a swab test of a lesion. For most patients, treatment for MPOX is mainly supportive, such as pain medication. Most people with MPOX recover fully within 2 to 4 weeks without the need for medical treatment. For severe cases, we do have medication (tecovirimat) available in New Zealand.
Further information on MPOX can be found here.
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