S. Korea reports 2 more local mpox infections

South Korea confirmed two more cases of mpox Wednesday, bringing the country’s total to 18, health authorities said.

The two patients are South Korean nationals, who are residing in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, respectively, and have not recently traveled abroad, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is traditionally confined to regions in Central and West Africa, and can cause fever, chills, rashes and lesions, among other symptoms.

South Korea reported the first case of mpox on June 22 last year and four more cases through March. The first five cases were linked to overseas travel.

But the recent 13 infections that began April 8 were locally transmitted with no recent overseas travel history.

Source: Yonhap News Agency