S.Korea reports 5 more mpox cases

Seoul, May 1 South Korea confirmed five more cases of mpox on Monday, bringing the country's total to 47, health authorities said.

Three patients are from Seoul, and the other two from South Chungcheong province and Busan, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

None of them travelled abroad, Yonhap News Agency quoted the KDCA as saying.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is traditionally confined to regions in Central and West Africa and can cause fever, chills, rashes and lesions, among other symptoms.

South Korea reported the first case of mpox on June 22 last year and four more cases through March.

The first five cases were linked to overseas travel.

But most of the recent infections that began April 7 were believed to be locally transmitted, with no overseas travel history.