Starting 23 August 2024, Singapore will implement enhanced screening measures at Changi and Seletar airports as a precaution against the import of mpox, a viral disease with increasing global concern.
Image: EPA-EFE
These measures include temperature checks and visual screening of travelers and crew from regions at risk of mpox outbreaks. Similar precautions will also be in place at sea checkpoints for passengers and crew arriving from affected areas.
Image: AFP
Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH), in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, announced these steps to bolster Singapore's defenses against mpox. While there are no direct flights between Singapore and countries experiencing mpox outbreaks, health advisories have been issued at air checkpoints. Travelers are urged to follow these guidelines, particularly when visiting or returning from affected regions.
Mpox Cases in Singapore to Date
Singapore has recorded 13 cases of the less severe clade II mpox this year, with no cases of the more dangerous clade I detected locally. The MOH is closely monitoring the global situation, noting that the outbreak remains largely contained in Africa, with only two Clade I cases reported in Sweden and Thailand.
Despite the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring mpox a global public health emergency on 14 August 2024, the MOH assesses the immediate risk to Singapore as low.
Understanding Mpox: Symptoms, Transmission, and Prevention
Images: Reuters
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is an infectious viral disease that can spread through close contact with an infected person or contaminated materials. There are two types of mpox: Clade I and Clade II. Both can be transmitted through direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person’s rash or scabs, contact with bodily fluids, or through respiratory droplets (during close, intimate contact). Pregnant individuals can also pass the virus to their fetus.
Common symptoms of mpox include fever, headache, muscle aches, and a rash that typically begins on the face before spreading to other parts of the body. The rash goes through several stages, eventually forming scabs that fall off.
To protect yourself from mpox, it is essential to maintain good personal hygiene, avoid close contact with individuals who are sick, and follow public health advisories when traveling. Those exhibiting symptoms such as fever or rash after traveling from affected areas should seek medical attention immediately.
Information from this article was taken with reference from Ministry of Health Singapore, AsiaOne, CDC and Cleveland Clinic.
