Nigerian bushmeat eater brings monkeypox to Singapore

Singapore has reported its first ever case of monkeypox, claiming it
was brought in by a Nigerian who contracted the rare virus by eating
bushmeat at a wedding.

Symptoms of Monkeypox

Symptoms in humans of monkeypox — which is endemic in parts of
Central and Western Africa — include lesions, fever, muscle ache and
chills.

Transmission is usually via close contact with infected animals such
as rodents and monkeys and is limited between people. It has only been
fatal in rare cases.

The man who brought in the virus arrived in Singapore on April 28,
the city-state’s health ministry (MOH) said in a statement late
Thursday.

The 38-year-old developed symptoms two days later and is currently
isolated at an infectious disease centre in a stable condition, the
ministry said.

At least 23 individuals who had been in close contact with the man
had been traced, and those who are in Singapore will be quarantined and
monitored for 21 days as a precaution, MOH said.

One had already left Singapore on May 5 before the Nigerian was
diagnosed at hospital but has since made contact with the city’s health
authorities and has reported he is well.

“The risk of community spread of monkeypox in Singapore is low,” said
Leo Yee Sin, executive director of Singapore’s National Centre for
Infectious Diseases.

He said that on average “each infected person transmits the infection
to less than one other person”, which makes the virus less infectious
than the common flu.

Outside Africa, human monkeypox infections had only been previously
reported in the United States, Britain and Israel, according to the US
Centres For Disease Control and Prevention.

Singapore, a tiny but affluent city-state dependent on external trade
and tourism, has toughened measures against infectious diseases after
it was hit hard by the 2003 SARS virus outbreak.

The disease killed 33 people in Singapore, inflicted major losses on the economy and hit the number of international visitors.

NAN