18-8-2024 (SINGAPORE) Singapore’s Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has issued a sobering warning about the potential arrival of mpox in the city-state, amidst growing concerns over a new outbreak in Africa. Speaking at a skills and career fair in Sembawang on 17 August, Mr Ong emphasised the need for vigilance and preparedness in the face of this evolving health threat.
The current mpox outbreak, centred in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has raised alarm bells among global health experts. Since January 2023, the DRC has reported a staggering 27,000 cases and over 1,100 deaths, with children bearing the brunt of the impact. The emergence of a new sub-variant, known as clade I, has further intensified concerns due to its heightened transmissibility through close personal contact.
While Mr Ong noted that the current risk of an outbreak in Asia and Singapore from Africa is low due to the absence of direct flights, he cautioned that the virus is likely to spread to regions with which Singapore maintains air connections, such as the Middle East and Europe. “We should work on the basis that mpox will arrive in Asia. And probably, Singapore will be one of the first places to find cases because of our flight connections,” Mr Ong stated.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has responded to the escalating situation by declaring mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years. The rapid spread of the new clade I variant to neighbouring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, has heightened concerns, with experts suggesting that the true number of cases may be significantly higher than reported.
Singapore has previously dealt with mpox cases, recording 32 in 2023 and 18 in 2022, all of which were attributed to the milder clade II variant. So far in 2024, the country has reported 12 cases, also confirmed to be clade II. However, the potential arrival of the more severe clade I variant presents new challenges.
Mr Ong outlined three key parameters that will guide Singapore’s response to any mpox outbreak:
- Severity rate: The clade I variant has a significantly higher fatality rate (3.5% to 4%) compared to clade II (0.2%).
- Affected demographics: Unlike previous outbreaks, the current strain in Africa appears to disproportionately affect children under 15.
- Transmissibility: While clade I spreads through close contact, there is currently no evidence of airborne transmission akin to COVID-19.
The Minister for Health stressed the importance of maintaining good health as a primary defence against mpox and other diseases. “If you are healthy, you are less likely to be affected by all these diseases. It was the case for COVID-19 as well. Likewise, it will be the same for mpox,” he advised.
Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) has assured the public that the country’s healthcare system is well-equipped to diagnose and manage mpox infections. Measures are in place to quarantine and monitor close contacts of confirmed cases for up to 21 days from the last date of exposure.
