Member-only story
Does Monkey Pox Spread Via Sexual Contact?
And What Can You Do to Protect Yourself?
On Friday, May 20, 2022, there were two confirmed cases of monkey pox in Australia. This is the first such instance in Australian history. One of the infected men had flown from the U.K. to Melbourne and the other was a Sydney resident returning from Europe.
Meanwhile, in Canada, the number of cases that have been verified has risen to 5 in total as of May 20th.
In the past week, cases have also been reported in at least 9 other non-African countries. This worries scientists such as Anne Rimoin, an epidemiologist at UCLA who studied the disease in Africa for more than a decade. She points out that any such increase in the spread of a disease raises red flags and requires investigation.
What is monkey pox?
Monkey pox is a rare infection that is typically spread by wild animals in some parts of west and central Africa. It is called monkey pox because it was first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958.
The illness is typically considered mild. Treatment aims to relieve symptoms and most people recover in 2–4 weeks. However, the disease spreads through close contact. The situation is exacerbated by bad hygiene.
