China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) announced that Chinese authorities have initiated the screening of individuals and goods entering the country for mpox, previously referred to as monkeypox. According to GAC, these new regulations will be in effect for at least six months.
Individuals entering China from “countries and regions with confirmed cases of the disease are required to inform customs of their health status upon arrival if they exhibit symptoms,” such as fever, headache, rashes, and others, as stated by the GAC. The statement further highlighted that “customs officials will carry out medical protocols and perform sampling and testing as per established procedures.”
Also, all vehicles, containers, and goods originating from areas where mpox cases have been identified must undergo sanitization.
GAC made its announcement just two days following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) classification of a recent increase in infections in Africa as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), alongside a call for a vaccination initiative.
On Wednesday, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, urged for “a coordinated international response” to halt the disease’s spread and protect lives globally. This appeal came in the wake of a viral outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that has extended to adjacent nations earlier this month.
In 2023, China’s National Health Commission classified mpox as a Category B infectious disease, placing it alongside COVID-19, AIDS, and SARS. This classification allowed national authorities to implement emergency measures, which included limiting gatherings, halting work and educational activities, and isolating specific areas in the event of an outbreak.
Mpox was initially recognized as a separate disease in 1958 in laboratory monkeys located in Denmark. The earliest confirmed human cases emerged in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as well as in Liberia and Sierra Leone. The virus has historically been endemic to central Africa, particularly within the DRC.
Following its emergence in late 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency and rebranded the disease as mpox to eliminate “racist and stigmatizing language.”
Mpox is transmitted through intimate contact and can lead to symptoms resembling those of influenza, including a rash that develops into blisters before crusting, as well as swollen lymph nodes. The World Health Organization indicates that the illness is generally mild, with fatalities occurring only in exceptional circumstances.
