In this illustration taken on May 23, 2022, test tubes labeled “Positive for monkeypox virus” are seen. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
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SYDNEY, July 28 (Reuters) – Australia said on Thursday an outbreak of monkeypox was now a “communicable disease incident of national concern” to allow for a more coordinated response after the World Health Organization declared a global emergency in healthcare.
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said in a statement that the National Incident Center had been activated to improve coordination across Australian states and territories to deal with the outbreak.
Kelly said there had been 44 cases of monkeypox in Australia, with most cases in returning international travelers, and worldwide this year there had been 20,311 cases in 71 countries that had not yet reported cases of monkeypox.
He said the disease is less harmful and much less contagious than COVID-19.
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Reporting by John Mair; Editing by Sam Holmes
Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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