China reports its first case of monkeypox in southwestern city of Chongqing

Although cases of monkeypox are declining across the globe, China reported its first case in Chongqing in a visitor who recently arrived in the city from abroad, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. According to the Chongqing health authority, the traveller entered China on an unspecified date. Following his arrival, the traveller was quarantined in accordance with COVID-19 rules, a procedure that applies to everyone arriving from abroad, and displayed a rash and other symptoms during that time.

The monkeypox case was confirmed upon review of test results by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The traveller has been kept under medical observation at a designated facility and is in stable condition. "The case was quarantined and controlled immediately after entering Chongqing, and there was no social activity," the city's health commission said in a statement.  

Hong Kong recorded its first case of monkeypox in a 30-year-old man 

It further stated that the Chongqing case comes after the first case of monkeypox was reported in Hong Kong last week. Reportedly, a 30-year-old man tested positive, who returned to Hong Kong after visiting countries like Canada, the US and the Phillippines. According to reports, a hashtag associated with the Chongqing case quickly surpassed 120 million views on the Chinese social networking site Weibo as soon as the report of the first monkeypox surfaced. This monkeypox case quickly became top trending on the site, much like China's strict zero-COVID policy hashtags.

About Monkeypox virus

It is pertinent to mention here that more than 70 countries including the United Kingdom and the United States have reported several cases of the monkeypox virus. Notably, Monkeypox is usually a mild self-limiting infection that lasts only a few weeks for most people. However, it can also affect people with severe illnesses. Mainly, the monkeypox virus is transmitted when a person comes into contact with the pathogen from an animal, human, or material contaminated with the virus. 

Image: AP/ANI