Health

China confirms first case of monkeypox in mainland

Beijing, Sep 16 (EFE).- Chinese health authorities confirmed on Friday the first case of monkeypox in the mainland, diagnosed in a patient who had arrived from abroad to the southern city of Chongqing.

According to the state-owned Global Times newspaper, the patient tested positive after entering China from abroad and being quarantined – a mandatory measure for those entering the Asian country due to its strict “covid zero” policy.

This is the first case of monkeypox in mainland China, while the semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong registered a positive case on Sep.6.

The largest outbreak of monkeypox so far in countries where this disease is not endemic was in the UK in the month of May.

A total of more than 58,000 monkeypox cases have been detected in the world since the start of its outbreak, of which 3,400 have been recorded in the last week.

The World Health Organization declared an international emergency in July over the spread of cases across the world.

Monkeypox is a rare infectious disease that spreads between species, including animals to humans, and is caused by the virus of the genus Orthopoxvirus, which also includes smallpox.

The disease is endemic in West and Central African countries. EFE

jco/sc

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