Second case of rare mpox strain discovered in traveller

A rare strain of mpox, only seen once in Australia, has been detected in an overseas traveller.

A case of the Clade 1 strain of mpox has been confirmed in a patient in Queensland's Metro South Hospital and Health Service region, the state's health body said.

The patient is believed to have acquired mpox overseas before arriving in Australia, state Health Minister Tim Nicholls said.

"Contact tracing has been occurring, and the community can be assured that exposure to members of the community has been very limited, and the public should not be concerned," he said on Saturday.

The detection is the second incidence of the mpox strain reported in Australia after a returned traveller tested positive for the virus in NSW in May.

Mpox is a viral infection that typically displays mild symptoms of fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes or fatigue, followed by a skin rash or lesions.

The disease does not easily spread between people and mostly occurs through very close or intimate contact with someone infected.

Groups at higher risk of infection include sexually active gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men and their partners.

Health authorities say vaccinations for pre- and post-exposure to the disease are effective and are available for free through sexual health clinics and general practitioners.

Two doses of vaccine are needed for optimal protection, with vaccination reducing the risk of infection and severe disease.

The World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern in August 2024.

The disease was first detected in Australia in 2022, with the number of cases spiking to more than 1400 in 2024, according to Australia's National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System.

There have been about 150 confirmed cases of mpox in 2025.

Men make up the majority of reported notifications, accounting for more than 1700 of all confirmed cases.