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Singapore confirmed reports of one imported case of monkeypox, an infectious disease.

The patient, who had been quarantined, is a 28-year-old Nigerian national.

Singapore’s Ministry of Health said that the patient is currently in a stable condition and in an isolation ward at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. This would be the first case of monkeypox in Singapore.

What is monkeypox?

Image Via CDC

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by a virus that transmits from animals to humans. It can be contracted when a person interacts with animals who are infected with the disease, such as rodents.

As for human-to-human transmission, it can happen from close contact with infected respiratory tract secretions, skin lesions of an infected person or objects which are recently contaminated by a patient’s fluids.

Some symptoms to look out for are fever, aches, swollen lymph nodes and skin rash. In some cases it can even cause serious complications like pneumonia or even death.

Executive Director of NCID, Professor Leo Yee Sin said that the risk of monkeypox spreading within Singapore is low.

Singapore’s Ministry of Health added that the disease is usually self-limiting, most patients can recover from this within two to three weeks.

Chances of the monkeypox disease spreading to Malaysia is low, but it pays to be vigilant. Be sure to take extra care, especially when it comes to hygiene!

Source: Channel News Asia