Skin eruptions usually appear within one to three days of the fever commencing, and in most cases affect the face, hands and feet. Studies have found about 3% of contacts of a monkeypox case will be infected.Ī week or two after exposure, infection starts with fever, headache, swelling of the lymph nodes and muscle ache. However, it does not usually spread easily between humans, and typically only in close contacts. It is a respiratory virus and can also spread to humans without contact, probably through aerosols. Smallpox only infected humans, but monkeypox is an animal virus that occasionally infects humans after they are bitten or scratched by a monkey or other animal.

Monkeypox is caused by an orthopoxvirus that is closely related to the virus that caused smallpox, variola.

Health authorities have said the cases are not a cause for panic, but to remain vigilant for symptoms if you have just returned from overseas. Both are in men just returned from Europe. Two cases of monkeypox have been detected in Australia, following reported cases in several European countries.

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