Following the World Health Organization’s declaration of mpox outbreaks in Africa as a global health emergency, Korean authorities have decided to ramp up quarantine and surveillance measures.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced the decision after a meeting with medical and academic experts Friday to discuss the potential of mpox entering the country and response strategies.
KDCA officials and experts determined that the current domestic mpox situation remains manageable under existing disease control protocols. However, they decided to enhance quarantine and surveillance efforts without reissuing the crisis alert that was lifted last May.
On Wednesday, WHO declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for the second time, in response to a surge of cases in Congo 커뮤니티 and other parts of Africa, alongside the emergence of a new variant of the virus. This declaration comes 15 months after the previous emergency was declared over in May 2023.
The KDCA on Friday also decided to implement quarantine measures at gates for direct flights from key countries with epidemiological investigators and public health doctors deployed on-site