A fourth case of monkeypox has been detected in New Zealand the Ministry of Health announced on Thursday.
The ministry says the person has recently returned from overseas and is currently isolating in Te Waipounamu (south west corner of the South Island), following a positive test result.
"Significantly, there is no evidence of community transmission from this case and public health staff have assessed the risk of transmission from this case as low," the ministry says.
"To protect the privacy of this person and their contacts, we will be making no further comment on this case, at this stage."
It comes as New Zealand is unlikely to have a supply of the monkeypox vaccine in advance of community transmission, a senior health official has said.
National director of the National Public Health Service Dr Nick Chamberlain made the admission during a media conference last week.
It comes after the Burnett Foundation, the New Zealand Sexual Health Society and top sexual health researcher Peter Saxton sent a five-page letter to the prime minister saying the country has a rapidly closing window to avoid serious public health consequences.
READ MORE: Monkeypox - NZ unlikely to have vaccine before community transmission
The letter says the Government should develop a vaccine delivery plan that prioritises gay and bisexual men who are at risk of contracting the virus. These vaccines would be offered pre-emptively.
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