First Case of Monkeypox Patient Reported in Japan

Man in his 30s living in Tokyo... Recently traveled abroad

(Montreal AP=Yonhap News) On the 23rd (local time), a man is receiving a monkeypox vaccine at an outdoor clinic in Montreal, Canada.

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] The first confirmed case of monkeypox has been identified in Japan.

According to local media such as NHK on the 25th, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that the first confirmed case of monkeypox has been reported in Japan. This case emerged just two days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)" on the 23rd, the highest level of public health alert.

NHK reported that the confirmed patient is a man in his 30s living in Tokyo who has traveled abroad. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare plans to hold an expert meeting on the 29th to review whether the smallpox vaccine can be used for monkeypox prevention.

The smallpox vaccine is known to be effective in preventing the onset of monkeypox symptoms. Some foreign countries have already started vaccinations. The Ministry is considering healthcare workers who have had contact or potential contact with the first confirmed patient as candidates for vaccination.

Additionally, Japanese health authorities have distributed monkeypox diagnostic reagents to local public health laboratories across all 47 prefectures nationwide.