Monkeypox Confirmed Cases Increase by 2 in a Week... 80,000 Infected Worldwide

Death Toll Rises to 55

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The fourth domestic case of monkeypox has been confirmed just one week after the third case, shortening the previous roughly two-month interval between confirmed cases.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 23rd, the fourth confirmed domestic monkeypox patient is a medical staff member working in the isolation ward where the third confirmed patient was hospitalized for testing. After being pricked by a needle while collecting a skin lesion specimen on the 14th, the individual was classified as a high-risk contact and was under active monitoring when confirmed positive. The patient is currently receiving treatment in the isolation ward and, although experiencing mild systemic symptoms such as headache, their overall condition is reported to be stable.

After the incident was reported, the patient immediately received the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine, but a skin lesion appeared at the needle prick site the previous morning, leading to a PCR test and final confirmation. The monkeypox vaccine is effective if administered within four days after virus exposure. The health authorities introduced 5,000 doses of Jynneos on August 11 and pre-vaccinated medical staff at treatment institutions who expressed willingness. So far, 98 people have been vaccinated.

This is the first domestic infection case among the monkeypox patients reported to the Central Disease Control Headquarters. The first confirmed case was a Korean national who entered the country from Germany in June, and the second was also a Korean national who visited Europe and entered the country in August. The third patient was confirmed after entering from the United Arab Emirates this month.

Although monkeypox occurrences have been rare domestically, the global number of confirmed monkeypox cases has surpassed 80,000. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of the 21st, the total number of confirmed monkeypox cases worldwide this year reached 80,488. Even when limited to cases outside endemic regions, the number is 79,515. Among these, the United States alone reported 29,169 confirmed cases.

At the time of the first domestic confirmed case, there were no reported deaths from monkeypox in non-endemic areas, but the death toll has now risen to 55. Since July, deaths among monkeypox patients have been reported in Spain, Belgium, and other European countries. On the 16th (local time), the Chilean Ministry of Health announced the first monkeypox death in Chile.

The World Health Organization (WHO) decided on the 1st of this month to maintain the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) status for monkeypox. PHEIC is the highest level of alert issued by WHO for diseases with global outbreaks, currently applied to COVID-19, polio, and monkeypox. WHO declared the PHEIC for monkeypox in July.