SINGAPORE - Health authorities confirmed the city-state’s first locally transmitted mpox cases on Thursday, April 2. Both patients, men aged 30 and 34, are infected with the more virulent clade Ib strain.
The 30-year-old, without recent travel history, developed symptoms on March 25 and tested positive on March 31. He has been discharged and is under home isolation until April 20.
The second case involved a 34-year-old who had prolonged physical contact with the first patient. He developed symptoms on March 26 and was confirmed infected on April 1. He remains in isolation until April 21.
The Communicable Diseases Agency stated that transmission occurred through intimate or sexual contact, emphasizing the risk to the general public remains low. Contact tracing is underway, with high-risk individuals offered post-exposure vaccines.
Clade Ib, first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023, has driven rising case numbers across Africa. Seven cases have been recorded in Singapore so far this year.
Symptoms include rash, fever, headache, and swollen lymph nodes. Severe outcomes may affect those with underlying conditions.
Authorities advise against casual or multiple sexual partnerships and recommend caution when traveling to affected regions, including practicing good hand hygiene and avoiding bushmeat.