South Korea reports 1st case of locally transmitted monkeypox

ANKARA

South Korea on Saturday reported its first locally transmitted case of monkeypox, bringing the total number of cases to six, local media said.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the person with a skin rash reported a suspected case of monkeypox on Thursday and tested positive for the disease the previous day, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The person has no history of overseas travel in the last three months, the KDCA said.

Seoul confirmed its first case of monkeypox last year in June and the fifth one on March 13 and all of them were linked to overseas travel, according to the news agency.

Monkeypox is predominantly transmitted through sexual contact, skin-to-skin contact, as well as sharing bedding, towels, and clothing, health officials say.

Symptoms of the virus include a rash, malaise, fever, and swollen lymph nodes, in addition to chills, headaches, and muscle pain.

The US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 86,746 viral disease cases since January 2022 all over the world, with 30,286 infections detected in America alone. During the same time period, 112 people died, including 38 in the US.

Last year, the World Health Organization renamed monkeypox to mpox, saying the name of the disease acted as "racist and stigmatizing language."

Both names will be used simultaneously for one year while the term "monkeypox" is phased out, it added.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid​​​​​​​