The First Case of Monkeypox in the Republic of Korea

Abstract

A rapid outbreak of monkeypox is ongoing in non-endemic countries since May 2022. We report the first case of monkeypox in the Republic of Korea. This occurred in a 34-year-old male patient who traveled to Europe in June 2022. On the day of his return to the Republic of Korea (June 21, 2022), the patient presented with a genital lesion. The results of the monkeypox real-time polymerase chain reaction tests were positive in the penile ulcer, oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal specimens. The patient subsequently developed fever and skin rash after hospital admission. Careful history taking along physical examination should be conducted in the patients who have epidemiologic risk factors for monkeypox. Moreover, appropriate specimens should be obtained from lesions and tested for the monkeypox virus.

Keywords: Diagnosis; Monkeypox; Republic of Korea.

Fig. 1. Photographs of the penile ulcer and the skin lesions. Non-tender ulcer on the dorsum of the penile shaft, measuring 7 mm in diameter with central umbilication. Erythematous, maculopapular lesions appreaed on the upper back and proceeded down the body. Red-colored line indicates the period of fever (≥ 37.5°C). The figures are published under agreement of the patient.