hankyoreh

A monitor at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport displays a news briefing from the KDCA on June 22, 2022, when the first case of monkeypox was confirmed in South Korea. (Kim Myoung-jin/The Hankyoreh)

South Korea has confirmed its first case of monkeypox. The country’s disease control authorities elevated the infectious disease risk alert level for monkeypox from “attention” to “caution.”

During an emergency briefing on Wednesday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) disclosed that a Korean national who had entered the country from Germany on Tuesday had tested positive for monkeypox.

“When we tested two people suspected of having monkeypox, one Korean national was confirmed as being positive. Since we’ve elevated the risk level to ‘caution’ according to the manual for infectious disease crisis management, we will transfer jurisdiction to the Central Disease Control Headquarters,” the KDCA said.

One non-Korean who was tested for monkeypox was ultimately diagnosed with chickenpox.

When the Korean traveler arrived via Incheon Airport at 4 pm on Tuesday, the health authorities learned the individual had skin lesions and had been experiencing general symptoms including headaches, a mild fever, a sore throat, weakness and fatigue since June 18, before entering the country.

According to figures provided by Johns Hopkins University, Germany had 412 confirmed cases and two suspected cases of monkeypox as of Tuesday.

After the Korean traveler told KDCA staff and airport quarantine officers about suspicious symptoms after arriving at the airport, the individual was categorized as a suspected case and tested for monkeypox, with the results coming back positive.

The traveler was then transported to the Incheon Medical Center to be treated at a hospital ward that the state has designated for handling such cases.

In regard to the traveler’s symptoms, the KDCA explained that the individual “appears to be in good health overall” and added that “we are mostly treating the symptoms while prescribing medication to bring down the fever.”

Now that monkeypox has reached the country, the KDCA has elevated the monkeypox risk level from “attention” to “caution.”

The KDCA advises Koreans who visit or travel to countries where monkeypox has been reported to obey personal hygiene rules by washing their hands and wearing masks and to contact the KDCA call center (1339) if they experience any symptoms within 21 days of their return.

By Jang Hyeon-eun, staff reporter

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