Despite the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring mpox a global public health emergency on Wednesday (14 August), the Ministry of Health (MOH) has assessed the immediate public health risk of the outbreak in Africa to Singapore as low.

In a statement issued on 15 August, MOH noted,  “While there is cross-border spread of a potentially more severe mpox clade I in parts of Central and East Africa, the outbreak has thus far remained within the African continent, with no reported cases of clade I exported out of the African continent.”

Since January 2024, Singapore has reported 10 cases of mpox, all confirmed to be the milder clade II form of the virus.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.

In 2023, Singapore recorded 32 cases, and there were 18 cases in 2022, starting from the time the disease was first reported in late June of that year.

“To date, all mpox infections detected in Singapore have been the milder Clade II infections, mostly during the 2022-2023 global outbreak,” said MOH.

MOH assured that Singapore’s healthcare system has the capability to effectively diagnose and manage mpox infections.

MOH has instructed healthcare providers to report all mpox cases, including Clade I suspects, and requires travellers to declare symptoms and travel history via the SG Arrival Card, with suspected Clade I cases will be isolated and mandate quarantine for close contacts for up to 21 days.

Global health experts have been alarmed by the new, more dangerous Ib sub-variant of the clade I strain, which spreads easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact.

This concern led the WHO to declare mpox a global public health emergency on 14 August for the second time in two years.

The WHO’s multi-country outbreak report indicates a significant rise in mpox cases and outbreaks across countries in the WHO African region in recent weeks.

While most cases are concentrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), bordering countries are also affected. Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda have reported their first mpox cases due to clade Ib.