‘Alamak near the neighbor next door. Please don't come to Malaysia. '
After its devastating spread in Europe, now the monkeypox virus is beginning to take root in the Southeast Asian region with Singapore recording the first case of the virus.
The Singapore government has confirmed that the first Monkeypox case has been brought in by a British flight attendant who has been commuting in and out of the country since mid-June.
A statement from Singapore health officials said the patient was still in stable condition after being confirmed positive on Monday and had been taken to an isolation ward.
In addition, 13 close acquaintances of the patient including his company’s crew and colleagues were also quarantined.
It indirectly marks the first case record in the Southeast Asian region after continental Europe reported 2,100 cases in 42 countries as of May.
According to a statement from the World Health Organization (WHO), monkeypox cases have caused 1 death and also spread widely to South Africa, North America and Australia.
For information, monkeypox is usually found in central and western Africa and rarely spreads outside the region.
It is a virus in the same family as smallpox but milder that is usually carried by monkeys.
The WHO further clarified that the transmission of monkeypox is low among humans because it requires close or direct physical contact with the patient’s wounds or ulcers.
Meanwhile, South Korea has also confirmed the first case in their country.
