BEIJING -- Chinese health authorities have issued a plan for the prevention and control of mpox disease, the national administration of disease prevention and control announced on Thursday.

Jointly issued by the administration and the National Health Commission, the document aims at ensuring timely and effective responses to the spread of mpox cases in China.

The plan laid out rules on mpox disease prevention and control, concerning aspects such as disease diagnosis, epidemic monitoring and reporting, and case handling.

It also called for sound cooperation and information sharing between health authorities nationwide and other relevant departments in response to the epidemic.

In September 2022, China reported its first imported mpox infection. Since June, multiple cases have been reported in several provinces in the country, posing a high risk of new local outbreaks and hidden transmission.