Epidemiology and characteristics of identified early mpox cases in Guangdong Province,China:Implications for prevention and control

In June 2023,the 2022 global mpox(monkeypox)outbreak began to affect Guangdong Province,one of the first regions in China's Mainland to report mpox cases.By July 10,2023,93 mpox cases had been reported in Guangdong Province.This study describes the epidemiological characteristics of these patients by collecting and analyzing data on demographics,sexual behavior,medical history,travel history,clinical symptoms,and diagnostic pathways and processes.The 93 mpox cases were all men aged 20-48 years,95.70%were men who have sex with men(MSM),and 48.39%were HIV-positive.A few cases were married(to women)or living with children.The rash was present in almost all cases(98.91%),with the most common sites being the genital and perianal areas(70.33%).Intimate sexual contact was suspected to be the main route of infection,with a median incubation period of 8.5 days(IQR 5.0–11.8).The number of cases increased rapidly,and most patients had no history of international travel,suggesting sustained community transmission within the MSM population in Guangdong Province.In addition,93.55%of cases were detected by medical institutions,and more than half of these patients had two or more hospital visits before being diagnosed as an mpox case,indicating that clinicians need further training to increase their sensitivity to mpox.Targeted interventions should prioritize MSM while remaining vigilant for transmission to other populations,such as women and children.

When and How to Adjust Non-Pharmacological Interventions Concurrent with Booster Vaccinations Against COVID-19—Guangdong,China,2022

Introduction:With the large-scale roll-out of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)booster vaccination effort(a vaccine dose given 6 months after completing primary vaccination)in China,we explore when and how China could lift non-pharmacological interventions(NPIs)against COVID-19 in 2022.Methods:Using a modified susceptible-infectiousrecovered(SIR)mathematical model,we projected the COVID-19 epidemic situation and required medical resources in Guangdong Province,China.Results:If the number of people entering from overseas recovers to 20%of the number in 2019,the epidemic in 2022 could be controlled at a low level by a containment(215 local cases)or suppression strategy(1,397 local cases).A mitigation strategy would lead to 21,722 local cases.A coexistence strategy would lead to a large epidemic with 6,850,083 local cases that would overwhelm Guangdong’s medical system.With 50%or 100%recovery of the 2019 level of travelers from overseas,the epidemic could also be controlled with containment or suppression,but enormous resources,including more hotel rooms for border quarantine,will be required.However,coexistence would lead to an uncontrollable epidemic with 12,922,032 local cases.Discussion:With booster vaccinations,the number of travelers from overseas could increase slightly in 2022,but a suppression strategy would need to be maintained to ensure a controllable epidemic.