Health: The clade Ib variant of the mpox virus has been detected...

Chinese health authorities announced on Thursday, January 9, 2025, that they had detected the clade Ib variant of the mpox virus on national territory, according to media reports. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention specified that it had identified a cluster of cases from the Ib sub-clade, which began with the infection of a foreign national who had traveled and stayed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Four other cases have appeared among close contacts of this individual. The patients’ symptoms are mild, including skin rashes and blisters. Chinese authorities are enhancing surveillance of goods and entries into the country, particularly from high-risk areas. Health declarations and tests are planned for symptomatic travelers or those who have been exposed to the virus.

China has classified smallpox as a Category B infectious disease, allowing for emergency measures: restrictions on public gatherings, suspension of work and school, and lockdowns of affected areas to prevent further transmission. The mpox virus, also known as monkeypox, spreads through close contact and causes flu-like symptoms along with pus-filled lesions on the body.

Although generally mild, it can be fatal in rare cases. According to Western media, the viral infection is spreading to more countries. For the record, it was last August that the WHO declared smallpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that spread to neighboring countries.