WELLINGTON, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand reported four additional cases of monkeypox on Thursday, taking the total number of cases in the country to nine.
The four cases, all found in the past seven days, have all recently returned from overseas. Three are isolating in the Auckland region, and one in the South Island, following a positive test result, according to the Ministry of Health.
In all four cases, there is no current evidence of community transmission and public health staff have assessed the risk of transmission from the cases as low, said a ministry statement.
The health ministry continues to monitor developments related to monkeypox. Advice has been provided to public health units, primary health organizations and sexual health clinics to assist with identifying potential cases.
According to the World Health Organization, the number of monkeypox cases reported globally peaked in mid-August and the numbers of cases in Europe and the Americas are declining. ■