On Thursday, the Chinese government reported five cases of a new Mpox strain, indicating that the outbreak has been effectively managed. Mpox is a viral infection transmitted from animals to humans and can also spread through close physical contact between people, leading to symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, and large boil-like skin lesions, which can be fatal. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency regarding the virus in August and extended it in November due to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where it has resulted in at least 1,000 deaths. Two days after the WHO’s declaration, China announced it would conduct screenings for Mpox on incoming travelers for the next six months. On Thursday, Chinese health authorities reported a cluster of Mpox strain Clade 1b infections, tracing the source to an individual who previously lived in the DRC. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that four individuals who had close contact with the infected person tested positive for the strain and exhibited relatively mild symptoms like rashes and blisters. “The individuals who are infected and those at risk are receiving medical care and health monitoring, and the outbreak has been successfully managed,” it stated. As of now, no cases have been identified among other contacts, according to the health authority. Since 2022, the WHO has reported Mpox cases in over 120 countries.
