All five Russian citizens hospitalized in St. Petersburg have tested positive for mpox, RIA Novosti reported, citing Botkin Hospital.
Doctors at the infectious diseases center treating the patients said the illness was mild to moderate and that all patients were stable.
According to RIA Novosti, Russia’s consumer protection and public health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, continues to monitor the mpox situation and take measures to identify cases promptly. The agency also said Russia has sufficient testing capacity to diagnose mpox, including new variants.
Earlier reports said five Russian citizens were hospitalized in St. Petersburg on suspicion of mpox on Saturday, Oct. 17. At the time, no details were provided on how the cases were identified, whether the patients had symptoms or what their condition was.
Kursiv.media reported that five people were hospitalized in the Moscow region on Oct. 15 with suspected mpox after coming into contact with an infected person. It remains unclear whether the patients have tested positive for the virus.
On Monday, Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry said the risk of mpox spreading in the country was low but did not rule out imported cases.
Mpox is a viral infection that spreads through close physical contact with an infected person, including contact with rashes and bodily fluids. The virus can also spread through contaminated clothing, bedding and other items, as well as through contact with infected animals.