(123rf)

Health authorities in South Korea have confirmed the first locally acquired case of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, on Sunday. To date, six people across the country have become infected with the virus, with cases traceable to overseas sources.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, a South Korean national tested positive for mpox on April 7, bringing the total number of infections to six. This individual had not traveled overseas in the past three months and had no known contact with an infected person.

The individual has reportedly had a skin rash since the end of March and had been in contact with others in local communities for several days.

On April 3, the patient visited a medical institution for the rash. The patient was tested for infectious diseases not including mpox, but had tested negative for all of them. On April 6, the local public center classified the individual as a suspected mpox patient, and the patient tested positive for mpox the following day. The patient is reported to be in good health by the KDCA. An epidemiological investigation is currently being conducted, according to a KDCA official.

Before this case, there were five confirmed cases in Korea, all linked to overseas travel. The first case of mpox in Korea was reported on June 22 last year, and the total had reached five by March.

In the fourth case, reported on Nov. 22, the person was infected after being accidentally pricked by a needle used to take a skin lesion sample from the third patient.

The virus is spread through physical contact with an infected person with symptoms. Symptoms commonly appear seven to 14 days after skin-to-skin contact. They include rashes, body fluids from skin lesions, scabs, ulcers, headaches, body aches and fever. It is said that transmission is also possible through contact with objects that have been in contact with the infected person, such as clothing, bedding and towels.