Monkeypox unlikely to be a pandemic, but cases could be detected in S’pore in coming weeks: Ong Ye Kung

SINGAPORE – Monkeypox is very unlikely to be a pandemic like Covid-19, but Singapore should not be surprised if the virus is detected here, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Saturday (May 28).

In a Facebook post, he said: “In the coming weeks, we should not be surprised if (monkeypox) is detected in Singapore, as our people travel widely and we are a commercial and international hub.

“Thankfully, we have in place the necessary protocols and public health measures, triggered by an imported case in 2019.”

Monkeypox is an infectious disease usually transmitted to humans by animals, and it has been on the rise globally.

Mr Ong noted how monkeypox has generated much interest, including at the World Health Assembly that he recently attended.

He said the disease is no longer a rare disease confined to certain places in Africa, but is being passed from humans to other humans in many parts of the world.

Clusters of cases have emerged in Europe and North America in recent weeks, which is considered unusual as monkeypox is not often seen outside western and central Africa.

In his post, Mr Ong reassured the public that monkeypox is unlikely to be a pandemic like Covid-19, as it is transmitted mostly by close physical contact and not airborne like the coronavirus.

“For example, if you are very close to someone with rash lesions due to monkeypox, you can be infected,” he said, elaborating on the incubation period and typical symptoms of the disease.