China announced on Thursday that it has identified five cases of a new mpox strain, but assured that the “outbreak has been effectively handled.”
Mpox, a virus transmitted to humans through animals and close physical contact, can cause fever, muscle pain, and boil-like skin lesions, with potentially fatal outcomes.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency over mpox in August, renewing it in November due to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has claimed over 1,000 lives. Following the August declaration, China implemented mpox screening for all incoming travelers for six months.
Chinese health authorities reported that the recent cluster outbreak involves the mpox strain Clade 1b. The infection source is believed to be an individual with a history of living in the DRC. Four close contacts of the patient were infected and exhibited mild symptoms, including rashes and blisters.
“The infected and at-risk individuals are under medical care and observation. The outbreak has been effectively managed,” the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated.
Authorities confirmed that no further cases have been detected among other contacts.
Since 2022, mpox cases have been reported in over 120 countries, according to the WHO.