Mpox outbreak in Africa: Immediate risk to Singapore is low, says Health Ministry

SINGAPORE: Following the&nbsp, mpox epidemic in parts of Africa, Singapore’s Health Ministry said the immediate&nbsp, public health threat to the country is small, adding that cautionary measures are in place.

The outbreak has so far resided on the African continent, with no cases of Clade I reported from the continent, according to the Ministry of Health ( MOH) on Thursday, August 15 ( Centre of a ) cross-border spread of a potentially more severe mpox in parts of Central and East Africa ).

” To day, all mpox infections detected in Singapore have been the gentler Clade II attacks, mostly during the 2022-2023 world outbreak”.

Ten mpox cases were discovered in Singapore as of July 27 this time. There were 32 circumstances in 2023.

Following an epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighboring nations, the World Health Organization on Wednesday declared mpox a global public health crisis for the next time in two decades.

This time, 461 incidents and more than 15, 000 mpox cases have been reported on the African continent, which is a 160 % increase over the same period last year.

MOH claimed that Singapore’s medical system is able to correctly identify and treat mpox diseases.

The government said that” we have informed all health professionals and medical facilities to be diligent in detecting and reporting all mpox circumstances, including those suspected of Clade I infections.”

Additionally, all travelers are required to report mpox-related signs like fever or rash along with their travel background using the Singapore Arrival Card to aid in the early detection of cases at Singapore’s borders, such as illness or allergy.

Clade I circumstances are thought to be isolated in hospitals. Near connections with confirmed cases may be isolated and monitored for up to 21 days, according to MOH.