Western Australians are being urged to recognise the symptoms of mpox and seek medical advice promptly after confirmed cases in the state surpassed the total recorded throughout last year.
The Western Australian Department of Health confirmed 36 mpox cases between January and 20 July 2026. By comparison, the state recorded 28 cases during all of 2025 and 23 in 2024.
Most of this year’s infections were acquired locally rather than during overseas travel.
Most Cases Reported Among Gay and Bisexual Men
The majority of confirmed infections have been among gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men.
However, WA Health stressed that mpox is not limited to any particular sexuality, gender or community. Several heterosexual men and women have also been diagnosed in Western Australia during 2026.
“While the majority of cases have been in gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men (GBMSM), several infections have also been identified in heterosexual men and women this year,” the department said.
The Australian Centre for Disease Control similarly notes that anyone exposed to the virus can contract mpox. Although a high proportion of Australian cases have occurred among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, reducing stigma remains an important part of ensuring people seek testing, support and vaccination.
How Mpox Spreads
Mpox is a viral infection that spreads primarily through close contact with someone who has the virus.
Transmission can occur through direct skin-to-skin contact with a rash, blisters or sores, including during sexual activity. It can also spread through prolonged face-to-face contact, respiratory droplets and contaminated items such as bedding, clothing or towels.
Condoms may reduce the risk of transmission during sex, but they do not provide complete protection because infectious lesions can be present on areas of skin that are not covered.
Director of WA Health’s Communicable Disease Control Directorate Dr Paul Armstrong said people should remain aware of their risk even when they do not belong to a group currently experiencing higher case numbers.
“While most infections continue to occur in specific higher-risk groups, mpox can affect anyone who has close physical contact with an infected person,” Dr Armstrong said.
Symptoms Can Include Painful Skin Lesions
Symptoms of mpox may include a rash or skin lesions, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, muscle or joint pain, a sore throat and severe tiredness.
The rash can appear anywhere on the body and may consist of only one or a small number of lesions. Sores can be particularly painful when they develop around the mouth, genitals or rectum.
Most people recover within two to four weeks, although serious complications can occur, particularly among people who are immunocompromised, pregnant, unvaccinated or living with poorly controlled HIV.
“It’s important that anyone who develops symptoms, particularly an unexplained rash or skin lesions, seeks medical advice promptly and avoids close contact with others until they have been assessed,” Dr Armstrong said.
Anyone awaiting an mpox test should remain at home and avoid close or intimate contact until they receive medical advice and their results.
Two Vaccine Doses Recommended
WA Health is encouraging eligible people to complete the full two-dose mpox vaccination course.
“We are encouraging people who are eligible for vaccination to ensure they are fully protected by receiving both doses of the vaccine,” Dr Armstrong said.
The standard course consists of two doses given four weeks apart. WA Health estimates that a complete course provides greater protection than a single dose, although vaccinated people can still become infected.
Free vaccination is available across Western Australia to eligible people at increased risk of exposure. This includes eligible gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, sex workers and people whose sexual practices place them at greater risk.
A Medicare card is not required to receive a free vaccination.
“Vaccination is recommended for people at higher risk of exposure, including eligible gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, sex workers and other people whose sexual practices place them at increased risk of mpox infection. A Medicare Card is not required for a free vaccination.”
People who know they have been exposed should contact a healthcare provider promptly. Vaccination within four days of exposure offers the greatest chance of preventing infection, while vaccination within 14 days may still reduce the severity of illness.
Awareness Campaign Under Way
WA Health has launched a statewide public-awareness campaign running across social media, regional radio and Perth Airport.
The campaign is intended to increase awareness of mpox symptoms, encourage testing and improve vaccination rates among people at greater risk. It also reflects the changing pattern of infections, with cases now being detected outside the gay and bisexual male communities most affected during earlier outbreaks.
Australia first reported mpox cases in 2022 and recorded more than 1,400 infections during the larger national outbreak of 2024. Almost all Australian cases have involved the clade II form of the virus.
The World Health Organisation declared an international public-health emergency over a separate mpox upsurge centred in Africa in August 2024. That emergency declaration ended on 5 September 2025 following a sustained decline in transmission, although the organisation said continued surveillance, vaccination and stigma-free health messaging remained necessary.
For Western Australians, the latest rise is a reminder that mpox has not disappeared.
People can reduce their risk by completing both vaccine doses if eligible, recognising possible symptoms, avoiding close contact when unwell and seeking medical advice early.
