Monkeypox numbers won’t reach the heights of Covid-19, but some spread is likely: experts

More people will catch monkeypox in the coming weeks and months, but the case numbers will be nothing like what we are experiencing with Covid-19, experts say.

The first case of the viral zoonotic disease in New Zealand was announced by the Ministry of Health on Saturday.

The person in their 30s from Auckland is in isolation at home, and has recently returned from overseas travel in a country with reported cases of monkeypox.

A “very small” number of contacts are being advised to watch for symptoms, and there is no evidence of community transmission.

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Epidemiologists say the measures we have learned about and put in place to prevent Covid-19 will be useful for monkeypox as well.

Monkeypox is able to pass from animals to humans but does not generally spread easily between humans.

Person-to-person spread may occur through sexual or intimate contact with an infected person, including kissing, and contact with clothing or linens used by an infected person.

Direct contact with skin lesions or scabs, or respiratory droplets from an infected individual can also spread the virus.

Dr Arindam Basu, an associate professor of epidemiology at Canterbury University, said people may need to take protective measures as more cases will likely emerge.

“Monkeypox and Covid-19 are different diseases and spread through somewhat different pathways, but at a personal level, personal hygiene measures and protection with masks are super important for both diseases, especially as Covid-19 cases will continue to rise.

“Being watchful about contacts, keeping a diary, and getting the tests at the first instances of common cold-like symptoms may be helpful.”

Otago University infectious diseases physician Professor Kurt Krause said there was no need to panic.

“We will likely get more cases, but numbers will be nothing like Covid-19.

“People will need to be on the lookout if they may have been exposed. And affected people will need to isolate, but almost everyone affected will recover very well.”

As of July 8, 9069 cases of monkeypox have been detected worldwide over the previous six weeks, according to Our World in Data.

There are currently more than 50 countries reporting monkeypox cases, and case numbers have tripled in Europe in recent weeks.

A monkeypox PCR test is already available in New Zealand to detect the virus.

To protect the privacy of the case and contact, officials won’t be providing additional information on them, but they will continue to be monitored.

Monkeypox: What to look out for

The first symptoms:

One or more of a headache, acute onset of fever (>38.0C), chills, swollen lymph nodes, myalgia (muscle and body aches), backache, tiredness.

After a few days:

Monkeypox has a characteristic rash that usually appears on the place of infection and spreads to other parts of the body. It may also appear on the palms of hands and soles of the feet, inside the mouth, or on the genitalia.