Mpox Infectious Disease Alert Level Downgraded from 'Caution' to 'Attention'

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's Central Disease Control Headquarters announced on the 6th that it will lower the MPOX (monkeypox) crisis alert level from 'Caution' to 'Interest'.

At the crisis assessment meeting, the overall risk level was evaluated as 'Low' after comprehensively considering the domestic and international MPOX occurrence trends and quarantine response capabilities. Accordingly, it was decided to lower the crisis alert level from the previous 'Caution' to 'Interest'. So far, there have been a total of 141 domestic cases. Among them, there were no deaths. The number of confirmed cases has been decreasing for three consecutive months after peaking in May.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Following the downgrade of the crisis alert level, the response system will be shifted from the existing Central Disease Control Headquarters to a task force. In addition, the reporting and surveillance system will be changed, and some quarantine measures will be eased following the lifting of quarantine infectious disease status.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) lifted the MPOX Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), which was declared in July last year, in May. So far, a total of 89,596 people in 114 countries have been confirmed with MPOX, and 157 have died.