KDCA reports 11 mpox cases in Korea, implements pre-emptive measures

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Monday that the country had recorded a total of 11 mpox cases this year as of last Friday, adding that it has implemented pre-emptive health measures.

Quarantine and hygiene instructions for mpox and its symptoms are displayed on electronic screens in Incheon International Airport in July. [YONHAP]

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Monday that the country had recorded a total of 11 mpox cases this year as of last Friday, adding that it has implemented pre-emptive health measures to prevent the influx of the virus and its variants.

Mpox, a communicable disease formerly known as monkeypox, emerged after an outbreak in 2022.

Of the 11 cases reported this year, only one patient was infected outside of Korea, while the remaining 10 were domestically transmitted.

This year’s figure is comparatively smaller than last year when there were 151 confirmed cases, according to a press release from the agency. However, it is higher than the total of four cases reported in 2022.

The health agency reported that there were no confirmed mpox cases until March this year, with positive cases starting to appear in April.

In July, six patients tested positive for mpox. In August, there has been one patient.

The KDCA also said that this year’s mpox patients were all men aged between their 20s and 40s, residing in metropolitan areas.

The report said that all domestically confirmed cases involved the Clade II virus type, which has lower transmissibility and fatality rates compared to the Clade I type currently dominant in Africa.

The report said that the virus spreads through close contact, including sexual activity.

“Unlike respiratory communicable diseases, mpox is less likely to spread through everyday activities,” an official from the KDCA said. The official also said that “people and overseas travelers can easily prevent infection by maintaining personal hygiene and taking preventive measures.”

The KDCA has designated eight African countries — Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Ethiopia, Central African Republic, Kenya, Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo — as regions subject to quarantine management.

Laboratory testing for mpox is available at 17 regional institutes of health and environment nationwide, the KDCA said. The authority also advised medical professionals, researchers at testing sites and those who have been in contact with mpox patients to get vaccinated to prevent infection. Vaccination reservations are available on the website nip.kdca.go.kr.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]