The man had developed anal discomfort on June 28, 2022 and other symptoms progressively over the next few days. (PHOTOS: Getty Images)
SINGAPORE – Singapore authorities have confirmed the second imported case of monkeypox infection in the city-state.
The case is a 36-year-old Indian national who resides in Singapore and has recently returned from the United States, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on its website on Thursday (July 7th).
That brings the total number of such cases here to three, all men, including the only local case on Wednesday and a previous imported case confirmed in June. The Indian national is not linked to the other two cases, MOH said, adding that contact tracking is ongoing.
The man tested positive for monkeypox on Thursday, after developing anal discomfort on June 28 and other symptoms, including typical rash of monkeypox, progressively over the next few days, MOH said.
He had sought medical attention on Wednesday and was later transferred to the National Center for Infectious Diseases on the same day, where he is currently in stable condition.
More than 6,000 cases of monkeypox have now been reported in 59 countries and territories in the current outbreak, according to the latest update from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The United Nations agency will convene a meeting of the committee to advise on declaring the outbreak a global health emergency – the highest alert level in the WHO – the week beginning July 18 or earlier, he said on Wednesday CEO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a virtual news. conference.
At its previous meeting on June 27, the committee decided that the outbreak was not yet a health emergency.
Smallpox smallpox, a usually mild viral infection that causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions, has been spreading worldwide since May.
The mortality rate in previous outbreaks of the currently spreading monkeypox strain has been around 1 percent.
Although patients usually recover in two to four weeks, a small percentage of those infected can become seriously ill or even die. The most vulnerable to complications are young children, pregnant women or immunocompromised people.
The story goes on
The risk to the general public remains low as transmission of the infection requires close or prolonged physical contact.
Given these reasons, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung in a parliamentary response written on Monday said it is unlikely that the smallpox of the monkey will become a global pandemic like COVID-19.
“Unlike COVID-19 vaccination, mass vaccination of the population with smallpox vaccine is not recommended as a preventive strategy for smallpox, in line with international recommendations and the global response to date.” , wrote Ong.
Although the smallpox vaccine is up to 85% effective in preventing smallpox, it has potentially serious side effects, according to NGOs.
For the general population, the risks of complications outweigh the benefits, because they have a low risk of becoming infected, he added.
Do you have any advice for the story? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.
Stay up-to-date on-theu: Join Yahoo Singapore’s Telegram channel
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asian channels, food and games on YouTube.