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Mpox: Chinese health officials step up control measures as cases rise
- Health authorities have designated mpox, prevalent among men, as a Class B infectious disease, similar to Covid-19 and HIV
- The number of cases of the disease, formerly known as monkeypox, has climbed steadily in China
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Zhang Tongin Beijing
China has classified mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, as a Class B infectious disease, as case numbers surge, with most infections occurring in men and linked to sexual transmission, according to the National Health Commission and data from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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The NHC announced the change on Friday, saying it would take effect from next Wednesday and upgrade prevention and control measures against the disease.
The Class B category also includes diseases such as Covid-19, HIV/Aids, dengue fever and rabies.
In July last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the mpox outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern”. The WHO reversed the designation in May this year.
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According to the CDC website, there were 501 confirmed cases across 25 provinces in August. That compared with 491 cases in July and 106 in June. Authorities said there had so far been no severe or fatal cases.
On the CDC website, experts highlighted challenges to control the spread of the disease, noting that the virus had spread quietly through sexual transmission among men. About 80 per cent of those cases were isolated, making transmission tracing difficult, while a steady influx of cases from abroad had created greater risk, authorities said.
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