Mpox situation ‘very worrying’, S’pore may be ‘one of the 1st places’ to get it: Ong Ye Kung

Risk to S’pore from mpox is low & MOH monitoring situation closely, says Ong Ye Kung

The global situation surrounding mpox, which is sweeping several countries in Africa, is “very worrying”, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has said.

In fact, Singapore may be “one of the first places” it will spread to due to our flight connections, he added.

Risk to S’pore from mpox is low: Ong Ye Kung

Mr Ong was quoted as saying this on Saturday (17 Aug) during an Employment and Employability Institute event in Sembawang, according to The Straits Times.

He noted that the current risk to Singapore is low as the country does not have any direct flights linking it to the affected African countries.

However, mpox is set to spread to the Middle East and Europe, which Singapore has direct flights to and from, he said, adding:

Probably Singapore will be one of the first places to find cases because of our flight connections.

We should expect mpox to arrive in S’pore: Ong Ye Kung

The minister said the country should be “on alert”, adding that:

We should expect it to arrive in Singapore.

While this is worrying, we must “respond appropriately and effectively” when it does come, he noted.

Several key parameters to consider when handling mpox

There are several key parameters Singapore is keeping in mind when handling mpox, Mr Ong said.

Firstly, the fatality rate, which is two deaths out of every 1,000 people infected by the clade II strain — fairly low, he added.

However, the strain spreading in Africa is the clade I strain, which has a fatality rate of 3.5% to 4%. The clade Ib has a 0.7% fatality rate.

These figures are recorded from Africa, which has “many healthcare challenges”, but he hopes Singapore can bring the fatality rate down due to its healthcare system and ability to treat cases.

Secondly, as children in Africa aren’t vaccinated against smallpox, a “disproportionate number of children below 15” have been infected. This is something Singapore needs to watch out for, he said.

Lastly, while clade II is transmitted via high-risk sexual activities, clade I is spread among people who have close contact with one another.

But there’s no evidence that it’s spreading through airborne particles, like with Covid-19.

MOH monitoring situation closely

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is monitoring the situation closely, Mr Ong said in a Facebook post on Thursday (15 Aug).

Local clinics are looking out for patients with mpox symptoms, and the nation’s immigration checkpoint officers are doing likewise for travellers, he added, saying:

We will activate isolation and contact tracing measures whenever we detect a case.

People in S’pore should go on with normal lives: Ong

Meanwhile, people in Singapore should “go on with our normal lives”, the minister said.

But that also means that we should be aware and keep healthy, he added, as healthy people are less likely to be affected by diseases.

He urged those who’re feeling unwell and experiencing mpox symptoms such as rash and fever to seek medical help.

Mpox symptoms include fever & rashes

Symptoms of both mpox variants include high fever, skin rashes, severe headaches, and enlarged lymph nodes.

MOH states that the virus spreads through close contact with:

• respiratory tract secretions
• skin lesions
• bodily fluids of an infected person or animal
• recently contaminated objects or environments

So far, Singapore has reported 60 cases of mpox since 2022, including 10 in 2024. All of them have been the milder Clade II infections, MOH said.

S’pore’s healthcare system can diagnose & manage mpox: MOH

The clade I variant of mpox — previously known as monkeypox — started surging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has since spread to a growing number of countries in Africa.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it a public health emergency of international concern on 14 Aug.

In a press release on 15 Aug, MOH said the immediate public health risk to Singapore was low.

Singapore’s healthcare system has the capability to diagnose and manage mpox, it added. MOH has informed medical practitioners and healthcare institutions to be vigilant.

All travellers are also required to report mpox-related symptoms and travel history through the SG Arrival Card.

Suspected clade I cases will be isolated in hospitals. Close contacts of confirmed cases will be quarantined and monitored for up to 21 days from the date of last exposure.

Also read: MOH says risk of severe mpox strain spreading to S’pore is low despite WHO’s global emergency declaration

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Featured image adapted from Employment & Employability Institute, e2i on Facebook and WHO.