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Epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of suspected and confirmed mpox cases during the 2022-2023 epidemic in the Capital Region, Republic of Korea
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Mingyeol Shim, Soo Hyeon Cho, Seung-eun Lee, Taeyoung Kim
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Epidemiol Health. 2024;e2024092. Published online November 24, 2024
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2024092
[Accepted]
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 Abstract
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES
This study investigated the general characteristics of laboratory-confirmed mpox patients in the Capital Region of South Korea, as well as the risk factors for mpox infection, particularly focusing on the characteristics of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive and PCR-negative cases.
METHODS We investigated 160 adults, excluding 4 minors, from 164 suspected mpox patients reported in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, and Gangwon from June 21, 2022 to October 31, 2023. Data were collected via telephone and face-to-face interviews. A statistical analysis of the general characteristics of the infection was conducted using frequency analysis and logistic regression.
RESULTS Of the 160 suspected cases of mpox, 59.3% (n=95) tested positive via mpox-PCR. Among the confirmed cases, 97.9% (n=93) were male. PCR-positive patients typically presented with genital and anal skin rashes or mucosal lesions, accompanied by pain. Additionally, 35.5% (n=33) of the male patients had HIV infections. Most confirmed cases (94.7%, 90/95) were believed to have contracted mpox through sexual contact during the maximal incubation period of 21 days prior to symptom onset, with a significant number reporting same-sex or casual contact. The most commonly collected and highest-yielding specimens from PCR-positive patients were from skin or mucosal lesions, whereas blood samples demonstrated the lowest percent positivity.
CONCLUSIONS In the Capital Region, most PCR-positive cases were male patients in their 30s who had sexual contacts and exhibited symptoms, aligning with findings from previous studies. These results provide a foundation for the differential diagnosis concerning mpox infection and the selection of PCR-test samples in clinical settings.
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