[Monkeypox Emergency] Over 50,000 Confirmed Cases Worldwide... Deaths Also Follow

20-Fold Increase in Two Months... Nearly 20,000 Cases in the US

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The cumulative number of confirmed monkeypox cases worldwide has surpassed 50,000.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 5th, the second confirmed case of monkeypox was identified domestically. This came about two months after the first confirmed case on June 22, when the individual directly inquired at a public health center and was tested, resulting in a positive diagnosis. All confirmed cases in Korea have visited one of the five countries designated by health authorities as monkeypox hotspots (Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal).

With this, the total confirmed cases in Korea reached two, but the number of cases worldwide has surged within two months. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) monkeypox outbreak status as of the 2nd (local time), monkeypox has been reported in 93 non-endemic countries with a cumulative total of 52,516 cases. This is about a 20-fold increase from around 2,600 cases in 40 countries at the end of June when the first domestic case was confirmed.

So far, deaths have only been reported in endemic regions, but fatalities have also occurred in non-endemic areas. On the 30th of last month, a confirmed monkeypox patient died in Texas, USA, and authorities are investigating whether monkeypox was the cause of death. In Europe, two deaths were reported in Spain in July this year, and one death was reported in Belgium on the 1st of this month among confirmed monkeypox patients.

On July 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) held an emergency meeting on monkeypox and declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This decision reversed the stance taken at a similar meeting in June, where a PHEIC declaration was not made. On the 4th of last month, the United States also declared a public health emergency regarding monkeypox. The U.S. currently has the highest number of confirmed monkeypox cases worldwide, totaling 19,852. Spain, Brazil, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom follow in second to sixth place, with many European countries among the top ranks.

Although the cumulative number of confirmed cases has increased significantly, the recent growth rate appears to be slowing. According to WHO, from the 15th to the 21st of last month, there were about 5,900 monkeypox cases worldwide, a 21% decrease compared to the previous week. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated, "While the number of infections is increasing in several countries, the downward trend in Canada is encouraging," and emphasized the importance of public health measures by saying, "(Monkeypox) is a disease that can be stopped with the right actions."