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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, there has been reports of outbreaks of EMPOS around
the world and certainly across Australia. The viral infection, which
spreads through close skin to skin contact, has now also
been detected in the Northern Territory with four cases identified.
Joining me on the line to tell us a bit
more about the situation is the Director of Sexual Health

(00:21):
Blood Born Viruses, Kelly Hoskin.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Good morning, Kelly, Good morning, Katie. Thanks for having me
on your show.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yeah, thank you so much for your time this morning. Now, firstly,
can you explain to our listeners what empox is?

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, sure, So empox is a viral infection and it
was previously called monkey pock, so people might have heard
it being called monkey pox, but it's now called EMPOS.
And it was first discovered in humans in the nineteen
seventies and has coursed outbreaks in Africa since twenty seventeen.
But as you probably remember, back in twenty twenty two,

(00:56):
there was a big upsurge in EMPOS cases around the
world and including Australia, and they kind of peetered off
a bit and then came there's been another upsurge since
twenty twenty four. So EMPOS is usually a mild infection
and is self limiting within a couple of weeks. But

(01:18):
some of the symptoms that can happen to include like
a rash, people feeling generally a little bit unwell with
fevers and swollen lymph nodes, headaches and things. But as
I said, mostly people will recover within a few weeks.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
And Kelly, in terms of how it's contracted lock, how
does that happen.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, sure, so anyone can get empocs, but in the
current outbreaks we've seen around the world and in Australia,
they've mostly been affecting our gay, bisexual and other men
who have sex with men communities. So empox is mainly
spread as you said at the beginning, through that close
physical skin to skin contact, and this can include sexual contact,

(02:05):
so that close contact if someone has got mpocs, and
it passes through usually through broken skin, so even if
you can't see the breaks on your skin, sometimes we
have little microscopic breaks, and so the virus can get
in that way. It also can get in through things
called nucous membranes, so like our nose, eyes, and mouth,

(02:26):
and also our genital and anal areas.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
And so in terms of the fact that we've now
had four cases in the Northern Territory, is that sort
of cause for concern or does it just mean that
people need to be more vigilant.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
So in terms of general population, it's very low risk,
but it's also important to just look out for signs
and symptoms, and particularly for the population who are currently
considered most at risk. We have a vaccine which is
Baker people can get. So the vaccine is currently eligible

(02:59):
for people who are gay, bisexual, and other men who
are having sex with men, as well as sex workers
and their partners. So NT Health has been working really
closely with our partner ENTERK and the sex Worker Outreach
program to get information to eligible groups for the vaccine
and so they can get the vaccine and look out
for symptoms. So the vaccine has two doses, so you

(03:21):
have one dose on day one and then twenty eight
days afterwards you get your second dose. And the vaccines
really protect people from severe symptoms. So the vaccine's free
in the NT and it's private and confidential and you
don't actually even need a Medicare card to receive the vaccine,
and people can access that vaccine at clinic Curdy fours

(03:44):
across the NT, so it's in all of our clinics
in our regional areas as well.

Speaker 1 (03:49):
And so should they just get in contact with you
if they are keen to get the vaccine or what's
the best way to go about it.

Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, so the best way about people who are in
those eligible groups which I mentioned before, they can just
contact their local clinics thirty for and organize an appointment
and then they can just get the vaccine. And so
I suppose the other thing message that we want to
get out is for people to look out for symptoms.
So any people in those eligible groups, so the men

(04:18):
who are having sex with men and sex workers and
their clients just to look out for if they've got
any fevers, headaches or rashes, so that then they just
go call up their head to their GP or to
their sexual health clinic and go and get a check.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
Well, Kelly Hosking, NT Health, Director of Sexual Health and
Blood born Viruses, I really appreciate your time this morning
and appreciate you making us aware of all the empos
in the Northern Territory. But really I guess just assuring
people as well, you know, it's good to be vigilant.
Make sure that you're vigilant, and if you are somebody
who thinks that you need the vaccine, that you're able

(04:54):
to get in there and get that done.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah. Great, Thank you, Katie, thank you.

Speaker 1 (04:58):
Thanks so much for your time this morning. Much appreciated.
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