Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42761034›Full record

ArticlePublic health weekly report2026

Mpox in the Republic of Korea from 2022 to June 2026: Epidemiological Trends and the First Clade Ib Case.

Junghee Hyun, Sungsoo Park, Eun-Young Kim, Chi-Hwan Choi, Hwajung Yi, Jee Eun Rhee, Jeonghee Yu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Public health weekly report, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Junghee HyunDivision of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, Department of Infectious Disease Policy, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9499-4143
Sungsoo ParkDivision of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, Department of Infectious Disease Policy, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6483-7219
Eun-Young KimDivision of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, Department of Infectious Disease Policy, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0163-1117
Chi-Hwan ChoiDivision of High-Risk Pathogens, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8560-5230
Hwajung YiDivision of High-Risk Pathogens, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9381-0616
Jee Eun RheeDivision of High-Risk Pathogens, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8008-6964
Jeonghee YuDivision of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, Department of Infectious Disease Policy, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2084-0069

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objectives: Amid continuous global and domestic mpox transmission, the Republic of Korea (ROK) identified its first Clade Ib case in June 2026. This study examines cumulative incidence trends and epidemiological and virological characteristics from the initial 2022 outbreak through June 2026. Methods: Demographic and geographical profiles, presumptive infection routes, and underlying conditions were analyzed using case notifications and epidemiological reports from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. For the recently confirmed Clade Ib case, whole-genome sequencing of viral DNA was performed to assess major genetic mutations and phylogenetic relationships with overseas sequences. Results: From 2022 to June 2026, 205 confirmed mpox cases were reported in the ROK (2022: 4; 2023: 151; 2024: 17; 2025: 27; 2026: 6). Most patients were male (98.5%) and in their 20s (31.2%) or 30s (50.2%). The capital metropolitan area accounted for more than 80% of the reported cases. Of these, 189 were domestic infections and 16 were imported. Sexual contact was the primary mode of transmission, accounting for 84.9% (n=174) of the cases. Before June 2026, all identified patients were infected with Clade IIb. The newly identified Clade Ib virus shared 99.99% sequence similarity with strains from Europe, particularly Germany and Ireland, and harbored the characteristic C3L gene deletion. Conclusions: Following the large-scale epidemic in 2023, domestic mpox cases have occurred sporadically. The emergence of Clade Ib underscores the need for a sustained surveillance system. A transition toward a sustainable, prevention-oriented management framework is essential, complemented by vaccination of high-risk populations, promotion of personal hygiene measures, and clinician training to ensure timely recognition and treatment.

Indexed as

Monkeypox virusMpox, monkeypoxPublic health surveillanceWhole genome sequencing

Identifiers

PMID42761034
PMCPMC13585568

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.