Recently, a notice warning about "Monkeypox Infectious Disease" has been displayed on monitors at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport in Yeongjongdo. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] The Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) announced on the 22nd that the fourth confirmed case of monkeypox in South Korea has been identified.
According to the CDCH, the patient is a medical staff member who was assigned to the isolation ward where the third confirmed patient was hospitalized for testing. On the 14th, while collecting a skin lesion specimen, the staff member was pricked by a needle and was classified as a high-risk contact, undergoing active monitoring.
Immediately after the incident was reported, the patient received a preventive vaccination with the monkeypox vaccine. However, on the morning of the same day, a skin lesion appeared at the puncture site. A genetic test was conducted in the isolation ward, confirming a positive result.
The patient is currently undergoing treatment in isolation at the hospital until release from quarantine. Aside from mild systemic symptoms such as headache, the overall condition is reported to be good.
The authorities added that the patient had no prior history of monkeypox vaccination before the needle prick incident.
The third confirmed monkeypox patient, who had contact with this patient, was a Korean national who entered the country earlier this month from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The first and second patients, confirmed on June 22 and September 3 respectively, were also Korean nationals returning from overseas (Europe), making this the first case of domestic infection in South Korea.
The CDCH urged medical personnel to wear appropriate protective equipment when treating suspected monkeypox patients and to actively cooperate with preemptive vaccination in preparation for patient care.
Monkeypox is an acute febrile rash illness caused by a viral infection. Since the first human case was reported in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it has become endemic in Africa. This year, it has rapidly spread to countries outside Africa, including Europe and the Americas. In July, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
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