In a recent development that has caught the attention of South Australians, health officials have issued a critical update regarding the emergence of three cases of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, in the state.

This marks the first time the virus has been detected locally since 2022, raising public health and safety concerns.

The three individuals diagnosed with mpox include men in their 20s, 30s, and 50s.

Despite the understandable concern this news may bring, health authorities are reassuring the public that the risk of widespread transmission remains low.

South Australia issued an alert after three cases of monkeypox were found in the area. Credit: Shutterstock

Mpox typically requires prolonged, close, or intimate contact for transmission, which means casual contact is less likely to result in the spread of the virus.

In 2022, South Australia had no reported cases of mpox, and only two cases were recorded during the global outbreak.

However, the situation has evolved in 2024, with the country witnessing 67 cases, 45 of which were reported in Victoria.

The renaming of monkeypox to mpox was a step to address concerns about stigmatisation and racism associated with the original name.

Mpox is a viral infection characterised by a distinctive rash and symptoms such as fever, chills, exhaustion, headache, muscle aches, backache, and swollen lymph nodes.

These symptoms can manifest up to 21 days after exposure, and the virus can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, contaminated items, or respiratory droplets.

An mpox vaccination is available and is being offered for free to eligible groups, including all sexually active gay, bisexual men, or men who have sex with men.

Dr Louise Flood, Deputy Director of the Communicable Disease Control Branch, urged those who are eligible to take advantage of the vaccine to protect themselves and others.

‘The Risk to the public is low. Mpox is not easily transmitted from person to person without prolonged close or intimate contact,’ she said.

‘If you do think you have mpox, seek medical advice and get tested.’

Mpox is a zoonosis, a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans.

While it is typically associated with tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa, there is currently no evidence of animal-to-human transmission in Australia.

The disease is mainly spread through direct contact with infected body fluids, lesions, or respiratory droplets.

During the 2022 outbreak, a significant number of cases affected men who were sexually active with other men.

While most cases of mpox are mild and can be managed with over-the-counter treatments like paracetamol and hydration, individuals who are immunocompromised may be at greater risk of serious complications.

Key Takeaways

• South Australia has reported three locally acquired cases of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), marking the first occurrences in the state since 2022.
• Health officials have emphasised that the risk to the general public is low, as mpox transmission usually requires prolonged, close or intimate contact.
• An mpox vaccination is available, and free vaccines are being offered to eligible individuals, including all sexually active gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with men.
• Mpox is a zoonotic virus typically spread to humans from animals, but there is currently no evidence of animal-to-human transmission in Australia; the disease can also be spread through direct contact with infected body fluids, lesions, or respiratory droplets.

Have you or someone you know been affected by the mpox outbreak? What measures are you taking to stay safe? Let us know in the comments below.

 

[Rob44]

Stupid? Pathetic?
Interesting pick-up from the article explaining symptoms, risks and origin of the disease called mpox (formerly monkeypox).

Stigmatisation: people do like to weaponise to cause fear, stigma, and even to justify racism.

Many conditions and viruses have been renamed over the years for these reasons.

The WHO has warned that the use of people and place names has "unintended negative impacts," which could have "serious consequences for people's lives and livelihoods." I can see merit in limiting some people's inclination to weaponise.
'Idiots', 'lunatics', and the insane were locked up in so-called "lunatic asylums." Language can be nasty, as can people.
Eg: Idiot savant: Developmentally delayed and exceptionally talented, often inaccurately referred to as autistic - retarded: developmentally or cognitively delayed…neurodivergent seems like a better term, yeah?

It has been reported that the new names evoke less prejudice, improve communication between clinicians and patients, and promote social integration. Examining the past shows that avoiding stigmatisation was not of primary importance in dealing with large outbreaks of disease. Rather, the search for scapegoats took precedence. Therefore, name changes seem necessary, considering humans like to find a way to justify prejudices - just my observation. Doing nothing about stigma and discrimination that follows it is no longer an acceptable option.

Well, I knew a school-fellow called Small as in the Great Pox; no-one gave a tinker's cuss. But we HAD been vaccinated by the NHS at birth against Smallpox..........and if we hadn't we were not allowed back in the country (UK) if we went overseas, so had to obtain our vaccination and vaccination certificate before we crossed to France and places thereafter. Smallpox had not yet been eradicated by the international UN mass-vaccination ( sorry, microchip)programme. That occurred at sometime in the late 1979s or early 1980s. And even if we had been vaccinated previously at birth or shortly therefter we still had to get that certificate which entailed a vaccination.

 

[Rob44]

Yes, and the funny thing is, I used to, sometimes, refer to a block of cheese of any description as Coon cheese with a complete and innocent absence of political correctness or racism. The context of my calling it Coon cheese could be likened to the context of why a lot of Pomgollians call any vacuum cleaner a Hoover.

I think any person who finds that unacceptable can take a running jump at themselves.

Xerox= photocopier. Radar? Derived from some dreadful acronym. ASDIC, another acronym.... AS and DIC....AGHHHHH!

 

[Rob44]

Prime examples of "political correctness" gone mad.

• Coon Cheese changed to Cheer Cheese.
• Fags lolly cigarettes changed to Fads.
• Samboy chips wiped off the market yet? Sambo means nigger in Spanish..
• Now Monkeypox is replaced by Mpox.
• Nestles Redskin lollies name are being changed. How many North American Indians reside in Australia?
• When will Sydney's Blacktown be renamed "Absence Of Light Town"?
• When will the African country Niger be renamed?
• The New Zealand, Super Rugby club The Crusaders were demanded a name change in wake of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings. They rightly dismissed the demand.

In the face of all this, the Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner is named Chin Tan.

Niger is an adjective meaning "black" in Latin but never referred to black slaves or servants (derived from the Latin "servus" meaning "slave"), as did its derived perjorative "Nigger".

 

[Rob44]

Import third world become third world.

Oddly enough, India is probably more advanced in science and teaching than is Australia to judge by the names on research papers by collaborating authors from the USA, PR China, Korea and India and the work of certain Indian mathematicians, as well as that of the Indian excellent doctors and surgeons who work in our hospitals alongside good Indian nurses. There are occasion when I consider Australia more "third world" in how it treats research and other important social issues.

 

[Penny4]

"The renaming of monkeypox to mpox was a step to address concerns about stigmatisation and racism associated with the original name".

Ye Gods! Another load of fuzzy-wuzzy political correctitude! Are monkeys a race these days; I thought that they, like H sapiens, were a species of mammal.

Oh, fuzzy-wuzzy; is that not racist these days? It means confused and out-of-focus. I have stopped using the word "golly" as it is part of iwog................. Apologies to all golliwogs such as used to appear in those Noddy books. Oh; they are politically incorrect as well. I forget. Golly-gosh!

I've still got my vintage handmade Golliwog in the cupboard. He's worse for wear, but he's still intact.

 

[Rob44]

I've still got my vintage handmade Golliwog in the cupboard. He's worse for wear, but he's still intact.

That's a hanging offence! A secret Golliwog hoarder!

 

[JimmyFlatrock]

Oddly enough, India is probably more advanced in science and teaching than is Australia to judge by the names on research papers by collaborating authors from the USA, PR China, Korea and India and the work of certain Indian mathematicians, as well as that of the Indian excellent doctors and surgeons who work in our hospitals alongside good Indian nurses. There are occasion when I consider Australia more "third world" in how it treats research and other important social issues.

Yes, there are a lot of smarts coming out of India, full of confidence in their own abilities. Many have traits to be admired. I know many Indians, a few have similar traits to Aussies, a few are untrustworthy and a few have loftier ideals.

So on the subject you speak of I would agree they are advancing well in scientific endeavours. Up there with the best countries in the world in some aspects of endeavour.

I see an Indian GP and I am impressed with his suggested treatments and the advice he offers. And he has a sense of humour and takes a wee bit of time out for personal small talk (that goes both ways).

On other matters relative to our understanding of third world countries, the Indians don't do so well.

Of course, there are the untouchables and no change, away from that name, has seen treatments of them altered a whole lot. Caste atrocities against the Dalits continue with reportedly up to 5 crimes an hour being committed against them. And for what reason. Probably obscure 3rd world country reasons. Not much done by government except to pass a few laws without any follow-up it seems.

Treatment of Muslims is well-known and some of the Indian fellas I know here in Australia retained feeling of 'polite' racist hatred for the large, but minority group.

At the highest levels of government, we see accusations from other countries leaders, of state sanctioned killings of dissidents in foreign countries. Not a dirty deed exclusive to 3WC's, but hardly one would imagine Australia doing.

I do believe that Australian governments and Australians in general have never recognised the importance of research and development. We are falling further and further behind with the emerging countries leaving in their dust.

Yeah, whole-heartedly, $750Million on a footie oval is a bloody disgrace.

I'll stop there before I waffle any further off topic. Enjoyable though it is.

 

[Rob44]

Yes, there are a lot of smarts coming out of India, full of confidence in their own abilities. Many have traits to be admired. I know many Indians, a few have similar traits to Aussies, a few are untrustworthy and a few have loftier ideals.

So on the subject you speak of I would agree they are advancing well in scientific endeavours. Up there with the best countries in the world in some aspects of endeavour.

I see an Indian GP and I am impressed with his suggested treatments and the advice he offers. And he has a sense of humour and takes a wee bit of time out for personal small talk (that goes both ways).

On other matters relative to our understanding of third world countries, the Indians don't do so well.

Of course, there are the untouchables and no change, away from that name, has seen treatments of them altered a whole lot. Caste atrocities against the Dalits continue with reportedly up to 5 crimes an hour being committed against them. And for what reason. Probably obscure 3rd world country reasons. Not much done by government except to pass a few laws without any follow-up it seems.

Treatment of Muslims is well-known and some of the Indian fellas I know here in Australia retained feeling of 'polite' racist hatred for the large, but minority group.

At the highest levels of government, we see accusations from other countries leaders, of state sanctioned killings of dissidents in foreign countries. Not a dirty deed exclusive to 3WC's, but hardly one would imagine Australia doing.

I do believe that Australian governments and Australians in general have never recognised the importance of research and development. We are falling further and further behind with the emerging countries leaving in their dust.

Yeah, whole-heartedly, $750Million on a footie oval is a bloody disgrace.

I'll stop there before I waffle any further off topic. Enjoyable though it is.

The most technologically advanced country between about1740 and 1857 was quite definitely 3rd world in its poverty, ignorance and prejudice stakes somewhat as is India today depending of which aspect of society one examines. I refer to Pomgolia, its steam-engine technology and superb railways among other items. After 1880, Germany took over the technologically advanced bit as the third generation wealthy Pommie sons and daughters got into protracted arrogance as the important thing to do in society. Germany shot itself in the foot in 1914 and then again in 1933, which is why we Poms and our radar, cryptography, Merlin aircraft engine and turbine-engined Nelsonian marine tradition (plus the occasional 20 million Russians whom we don't talk about) won the war. Ho hum; here I go again!

 

[Knell]

In the 1960s the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, one of the most noted regiments in the British Army, wore a Robertson's golly brooch for each Arab they had killed ("And There's Even More: Golly", n.d.) After the war, wog became a more general slur against brown-skinned people. As a racial epithet, it is comparable to nigger or spic, though its usage extends beyond any single ethnic group. Dark-skinned people in England, Germany, and Australia are derisively called wogs.
Enid Blyton: Once the three bold golliwogs, Golly, Woggie, and Nigger, decided to go for a walk to Bumble-Bee Common. Golly wasn't quite ready so Woggie and Nigger said they would start off without him, and Golly would catch them up as soon as he could. So off went Woogie and Nigger, arm-in-arm, singing merrily their favourite song -- which, as you may guess, was Ten Little Nigger Boys.

Ten Little Niggers is the name of a children's poem, sometimes set to music, which celebrates the deaths of ten Black children, one-by-one. The Three Golliwogs was reprinted as recently as 1968, and it still contained the above passage. Ten Little Niggers was also the name of a 1939 Agatha Christie novel, whose cover showed a Golliwog lynched, hanging from a noose. Oh yes, nothing wrong with the British racism.

Wog is also slang for non-Brits, and is used against the French and even the Danish. It is sometimes employed with a smug, patronising tone of voice, rather than the snarl which usually accompanies the use of nigger, spic, and other racial ethnophaulisms. Wog is both an ethnic slur and a racial epithet.

 

[Knell]

Yes, and the funny thing is, I used to, sometimes, refer to a block of cheese of any description as Coon cheese with a complete and innocent absence of political correctness or racism. The context of my calling it Coon cheese could be likened to the context of why a lot of Pomgollians call any vacuum cleaner a Hoover.

I think any person who finds that unacceptable can take a running jump at themselves.

"I think any person who finds that unacceptable can take a running jump at themselves." Umm...no I won't.
NT Police:
Mr Rolfe told the coroner the Territory Response Group (TRG) handed out an annual award, known colloquially by other police as a "Coon of the Year" award.

I can see why Indigenous Australians don’t like it.
My opinion and I will not sod off!

 

[Rob44]

The sad fact is the Coon cheese founder was a Mr Edward Coon. So the name was perfectly legitimate, and yet the name was still unacceptable by some peoples standards.

For those who lack a sense of humour. Teddy Coon, or a Coon called Teddy. Golly-ghosh! Is not the English language dangerously punnable? We should learn to speak either Italian or Spanish instead. It is spoken so quickly that it cannot be understood and therefore misunderstood, whatever is being said.

 

[JimmyFlatrock]

"I think any person who finds that unacceptable can take a running jump at themselves." Umm...no I won't.
NT Police:
Mr Rolfe told the coroner the Territory Response Group (TRG) handed out an annual award, known colloquially by other police as a "Coon of the Year" award.

I can see why Indigenous Australians don’t like it.
My opinion and I will not sod off!

Meant in the context of the name of the cheese. Nothing to do with what Rolfe said.
Always difficult to take a running.......

 

[Knell]

Meant in the context of the name of the cheese. Nothing to do with what Rolfe said.
Always difficult to take a running.......

Or a flying.....

 

[Rob44]

In the 1960s the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, one of the most noted regiments in the British Army, wore a Robertson's golly brooch for each Arab they had killed ("And There's Even More: Golly", n.d.) After the war, wog became a more general slur against brown-skinned people. As a racial epithet, it is comparable to nigger or spic, though its usage extends beyond any single ethnic group. Dark-skinned people in England, Germany, and Australia are derisively called wogs.
Enid Blyton: Once the three bold golliwogs, Golly, Woggie, and Nigger, decided to go for a walk to Bumble-Bee Common. Golly wasn't quite ready so Woggie and Nigger said they would start off without him, and Golly would catch them up as soon as he could. So off went Woogie and Nigger, arm-in-arm, singing merrily their favourite song -- which, as you may guess, was Ten Little Nigger Boys.

Ten Little Niggers is the name of a children's poem, sometimes set to music, which celebrates the deaths of ten Black children, one-by-one. The Three Golliwogs was reprinted as recently as 1968, and it still contained the above passage. Ten Little Niggers was also the name of a 1939 Agatha Christie novel, whose cover showed a Golliwog lynched, hanging from a noose. Oh yes, nothing wrong with the British racism.

Wog is also slang for non-Brits, and is used against the French and even the Danish. It is sometimes employed with a smug, patronising tone of voice, rather than the snarl which usually accompanies the use of nigger, spic, and other racial ethnophaulisms. Wog is both an ethnic slur and a racial epithet.

American niggers are allowed to use the word nigger when they talk to each other and they are not snarling at each other. At least that's what one learns from Hollywood.

The Froggies; even well-educated Froggies refuse to use English when they are being interviewed on a Pomgolian TV programme (that's racist), unlike the Danes, Dutchies and Krauts who helped to invent Pomgolian, as did the Ities of Ancient Rome and who invented the word "niger". We Pomgolians do attempt to speak French from time to time, but last time I tried that in France a long time ago I got shouted at abusively; I had a better time speaking French in Morocco.

A derogatory attitude to the "other mob" is common between different human tribes of every hue and helps us, from the village level to the national level, to justify killing each other; vide Israel v. Palestine which is indeed blatant racism, particularly on the part of the more heavily armed and more wealthy tribe.

 

[Penny4]

American niggers are allowed to use the word nigger when they talk to each other and they are not snarling at each other. At least that's what one learns from Hollywood.

The Froggies; even well-educated Froggies refuse to use English when they are being interviewed on a Pomgolian TV programme (that's racist), unlike the Danes, Dutchies and Krauts who helped to invent Pomgolian, as did the Ities of Ancient Rome and who invented the word "niger". We Pomgolians do attempt to speak French from time to time, but last time I tried that in France a long time ago I got shouted at abusively; I had a better time speaking French in Morocco.

A derogatory attitude to the "other mob" is common between different human tribes of every hue and helps us, from the village level to the national level, to justify killing each other; vide Israel v. Palestine which is indeed blatant racism, particularly on the part of the more heavily armed and more wealthy tribe.

I had the same issue in France with those 'Froggies'. I was told I spoke funny when I mentioned the River Seine. They won't speak english, even though they can. Although French people are fine living here.

 

[Knell]

American niggers are allowed to use the word nigger when they talk to each other and they are not snarling at each other. At least that's what one learns from Hollywood.

The Froggies; even well-educated Froggies refuse to use English when they are being interviewed on a Pomgolian TV programme (that's racist), unlike the Danes, Dutchies and Krauts who helped to invent Pomgolian, as did the Ities of Ancient Rome and who invented the word "niger". We Pomgolians do attempt to speak French from time to time, but last time I tried that in France a long time ago I got shouted at abusively; I had a better time speaking French in Morocco.

A derogatory attitude to the "other mob" is common between different human tribes of every hue and helps us, from the village level to the national level, to justify killing each other; vide Israel v. Palestine which is indeed blatant racism, particularly on the part of the more heavily armed and more wealthy tribe.

Oh yes, might always overcomes right. RIGHT!
Personally I do think that history should not be edited, it tells the truth unwhitewashed and should be there to be judged, as our generation will surely be part of that story. What a lot of bull my early school teachings of Australian history presented.

 

[Knell]

Oh yes, might always overcomes right. RIGHT!
Personally I do think that history should not be edited, it tells the truth unwhitewashed and should be there to be judged, as our generation will surely be part of that story. What a lot of bull my early school teachings of Australian history presented.

I do however acknowledge the sentiment behind the political correctness and respect it!

 

[Rob44]

In the 1960s the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, one of the most noted regiments in the British Army, wore a Robertson's golly brooch for each Arab they had killed ("And There's Even More: Golly", n.d.) After the war, wog became a more general slur against brown-skinned people. As a racial epithet, it is comparable to nigger or spic, though its usage extends beyond any single ethnic group. Dark-skinned people in England, Germany, and Australia are derisively called wogs.
Enid Blyton: Once the three bold golliwogs, Golly, Woggie, and Nigger, decided to go for a walk to Bumble-Bee Common. Golly wasn't quite ready so Woggie and Nigger said they would start off without him, and Golly would catch them up as soon as he could. So off went Woogie and Nigger, arm-in-arm, singing merrily their favourite song -- which, as you may guess, was Ten Little Nigger Boys.

Ten Little Niggers is the name of a children's poem, sometimes set to music, which celebrates the deaths of ten Black children, one-by-one. The Three Golliwogs was reprinted as recently as 1968, and it still contained the above passage. Ten Little Niggers was also the name of a 1939 Agatha Christie novel, whose cover showed a Golliwog lynched, hanging from a noose. Oh yes, nothing wrong with the British racism.

Wog is also slang for non-Brits, and is used against the French and even the Danish. It is sometimes employed with a smug, patronising tone of voice, rather than the snarl which usually accompanies the use of nigger, spic, and other racial ethnophaulisms. Wog is both an ethnic slur and a racial epithet.

The 1960s were the time of the Indonesian confrontasi when British soldiers were involved in a nasty little under-the-carpet war in Borneo. I hadn't known that Arabs were involved. Or that in the 1960s a Scottish regiment was killing Arabs; perhaps that was in Aden when Pomgolia was trying to leave the place and getting shot at? I' m sure the Arabs had an unpleasant word for the Pomgolians of the day and would be surprised if that were not the case, given the betrayal of the Arabs by the British and French on behalf of the Zionists back between 1916 and 1922.

 

[Rob44]

Oh yes, might always overcomes right. RIGHT!
Personally I do think that history should not be edited, it tells the truth unwhitewashed and should be there to be judged, as our generation will surely be part of that story. What a lot of bull my early school teachings of Australian history presented.

Might generally overcomes right when one has superior firepower, whether it be in the form of spears, bows and arrows and machetes (bush knives) or AK-47 semi-automatic rifles and tanks. That justifies neither the use of any weapons nor use of derogatory language against any group. However, that is the humans animal's condition and at least we have the United nations organisation which was created to try to ameliorate that condition. This whitie is well aware of what historical damage we have done to each other during the last 5000 years; some of it is even celebrated in the Old Testament.

 

[Knell]

The 1960s were the time of the Indonesian confrontasi when British soldiers were involved in a nasty little under-the-carpet war in Borneo. I hadn't known that Arabs were involved. Or that in the 1960s a Scottish regiment was killing Arabs; perhaps that was in Aden when Pomgolia was trying to leave the place and getting shot at? I' m sure the Arabs had an unpleasant word for the Pomgolians of the day and would be surprised if that were not the case, given the betrayal of the Arabs by the British and French on behalf of the Zionists back between 1916 and 1922.

Ah, more work for me lol. I am currently overloaded looking into and trying to get a better understanding of the 'opium wars' LOL