China has decided to manage monkeypox as a Class B infectious disease, starting on Wednesday, according to a circular released by the National Health Commission on Friday.

Class B infectious diseases currently also include COVID-19, AIDS and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

The commission said that monkeypox used to mainly spread throughout Central Africa and West Africa, but since May 2022, more than 100 countries and regions have reported monkeypox outbreaks, with a mortality rate of 0.1 percent.

China registered its first imported monkeypox case in September 2022, and began experiencing domestic outbreaks in June of this year.

So far, more than 20 provincial-level regions have reported monkeypox infections as the virus triggers domestic and stealth transmission.

It added that the monkeypox epidemic will continue in the country for quite some time, and managing the disease as Class B will help roll out epidemic prevention and control work and protect the health and safety of its people.