Hong Kong reports case of monkeypox

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Hong Kong Wednesday reported a case of monkeypox involving a 31-year-old male patient with “underlying illness,” health officials said.

The patient “had developed lymphadenopathy, localized skin ulcer and swelling, and rash since July 27,” the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said in a statement.

He is admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital where his condition remains stable, it added.

Urging people to avoid close physical contact with persons suspected of contracting monkeypox, it asked the high-risk target groups to receive vaccination against the disease.

Mpox is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with material contaminated with the virus. Patients often start exhibiting symptoms with a fever, enlarged lymph nodes, back pain, and muscle aches before a rash appears on the skin, according to World Health Organization (WHO).

According to the global health body, 87,377 viral disease cases and 140 deaths have been reported since January 2022 worldwide.

Last year, the WHO renamed monkeypox to mpox, saying the name of the disease had acted as "racist and stigmatizing language."