Monkeypox (MPX) health alert
We are monitoring the unfolding situation in Australia concerning MPX. It has been declared a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance in Australia. We will update this alert with the latest medical advice, official reports and case numbers.
Current status
As of 22 September 2022:
- There are 135 cases (confirmed and probable) of MPX in Australia, reflecting cases which have been diagnosed in Australia and reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) by states and territories.
- This includes 67 in Victoria, 52 in New South Wales, 7 in Western Australia, 4 in Queensland, 3 in the Australian Capital Territory, and 2 in South Australia.
Please note that data for this website update was extracted on 23 September 2022. Due to the dynamic nature of the NNDSS and active case investigations, reported data may vary from day to day based updates by states and territories. Cases diagnosed overseas are not reported to the NNDSS or included in Australian national case numbers.
Find out more about MPX
Visit the MPX disease page to find out more about:
- case definitions
- signs and symptoms
- transmission
- who is at risk
- prevention
- diagnosis
- treatments and vaccines, and
- further resources including posters, fact sheets and clinical guidance for health professionals.
Visit the MPX vaccines page to find out more about vaccinations.
Why there is an alert
On 26 July 2022, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, declared the monkeypox (MPX) situation a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance. This follows the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the global situation regarding MPX to be a public health emergency of international concern.
The declaration was made under the Emergency Response Plan for Communicable Disease Incidents of National Significance, in consultation with the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee.
MPX had not been identified in Australia before May 2022.
Although MPX is endemic to parts of Africa, the recent outbreak has been detected in the UK, Europe, northern America and the Middle East and other areas that are not endemic for MPX.
On 1 June 2022, MPX became a nationally notifiable disease for 6 months. During this time a review will determine whether to list the virus permanently.
What we are doing
We are working closely with our state and territory counterparts to ensure a swift and coordinated response.
Public health messaging regarding MPX is focused on making the public and health professionals aware of the symptoms and communicating with people most at risk to make sure they seek medical advice if necessary.
National expert groups have developed MPX treatment and vaccine guidelines. Infection prevention and control guidance for health workers and case and contact management guidance for public health units is available on the MPX Resources page.
Find out more
Visit our monkeypox page and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for updates.