What’s new: Beijing has reported two cases of monkeypox, making it the second city on the Chinese mainland to confirm at least one human infection of the contagious disease commonly found in Africa.
One is an imported case from overseas, while the other is a related case, according to a statement published Tuesday by the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Both cases were a result of “intimate contact,” according to the center.
The two patients are currently being isolated and treated at a designated hospital, the statement said, adding that they are in stable condition.
The background: The last reported monkeypox infection on the mainland was in September, when Chongqing confirmed an imported case of the virus, according to state media reports. The Chongqing case, the mainland’s first, was found during a global monkeypox outbreak.
Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that monkeypox was no longer a “public health emergency of international concern,” ending a 10-month emergency for the disease caused by the monkeypox virus.
Monkeypox can cause symptoms including a rash, fever and sore throat, the WHO said. Cases have been found in 111 countries and regions worldwide, the Tuesday statement said.
Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com) and editor Leila Hashemi (leilahashemi@caixin.com)
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