Experts say it's no surprise monkeypox has arrived in New Zealand, with more cases expected over the coming weeks.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) announced New Zealand's first case of monkeypox on Saturday night. The case is a person in their 30s who lives in Auckland and has recently returned from overseas travel in a country with monkeypox cases.
There are a very small number of contacts of the case who are being advised to watch for symptoms. There is no evidence of community transmission here.
Infectious diseases physician and professor of biochemistry at the University of Otago Kurt Krause said the case is no cause for alarm.
"We were expecting cases in New Zealand. Not to panic. We will likely get more cases but numbers will be nothing like COVID-19," Prof Krause said.
"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."
Associate professor of epidemiology at the school of health sciences at the University of Canterbury Arindam Basu echoed Prof Krause, saying it's likely New Zealand will see more cases and it's important Kiwis take precautions.
"Now that a monkeypox case has been confirmed, it is important to be careful about protection measures, as over the next few weeks more monkeypox cases will likely emerge," Assoc Prof Basu said.
"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."
The MoH said given the increase in cases internationally, including Australia, the arrival in New Zealand was not unexpected.
"We have already taken steps to prepare for the arrival of monkeypox," a spokesperson said on Saturday night.
"Last month monkeypox was officially listed as a notifiable disease enabling us to utilise the tools needed to contain any possible spread of the disease including isolation orders and readying contact tracing capabilities. A monkeypox PCR test is available in New Zealand labs and is what has been used to detect this first case."
Public Health Advice
- The first symptoms of monkeypox include:
- headache
- acute onset of fever (>38.0C)
- chills
- swollen lymph nodes
- muscle and body aches
- backache
- tiredness
The characteristic rash, which typically looks similar to chicken pox, appears after a few days.
Anyone who's been overseas and attended events connected with the spread of monkeypox is asked to be aware of any symptoms and seek advice, either by contacting your GP or Healthline free on 0800 611 116, or get in touch with a sexual health clinic.
Health professionals are being reminded to remain vigilant for any possible cases of monkeypox, particularly in people who have recently arrived from countries reporting cases.
The MoH says the majority of people with monkeypox can be safely managed at home and there have been very few deaths from monkeypox globally.
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