Singapore tightens MPOX checks at airports, border checkpoints amid global outbreak

Singapore They will screen for symptoms of MPOX at border checkpoints, stepping up precautionary measures against the virus after its outbreak was declared a global health emergency.

The Ministry of Health said in a statement that travellers and crew arriving from areas where there is a risk of a mpox outbreak will be subject to temperature and vision checks from Friday at Changi and Seletar airports, as well as at maritime checkpoints. Travellers with fever, rash or symptoms consistent with mpox will be referred for medical assessment, it said.

Asian countries such as China, India and Pakistan have recently stepped up surveillance of MPOX. Thailand became the first country in Asia to detect a new mutated strain of the virus, clade Ib.

As of Thursday, “13 confirmed cases of MPOX have been detected this year, all of which are less severe Clade II infections,” the Health Ministry said, adding that no Clade I cases have yet been detected in Singapore.

The patient who tested positive for clade Ib was a European who arrived in Bangkok last week from Africa, according to the Thai Health Ministry’s disease control department. Authorities have identified 43 close contacts of the 66-year-old patient and put them under surveillance.

The patient, who suffered from illnesses and symptoms associated with MPOX, was admitted to hospital on August 15, a day after arriving in Bangkok. Laboratory tests conducted on Thursday confirmed that the variant was clade Ib and Thailand will report the results to the World Health Organization, the ministry said in a statement.

Thailand, a country heavily reliant on tourism, has announced it will step up surveillance and screening measures at all its international entry points, including Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Travellers from 42 countries affected by MPOX outbreaks will be required to register on the Health Ministry’s online application before departing for Thailand and undergo a health screening upon arrival in line with global protocols, the ministry said.

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WHO declares MPOX a global health emergency as new form of the virus emerges

The new strain, which has a mortality rate of 3%, has spread to several African countries and is believed to have killed more than 500 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Children and adolescents are also affected, with fatal cases exceeding 60% in patients under the age of 5.

Unlike an earlier, milder strain that emerged in 2022 and spread primarily among men who have sex with men, the current variant that produces fluid-filled lesions is spread through all kinds of sexual activity and other close physical contact.

Thailand has announced it will quarantine any traveler with symptoms of MPOX, and travelers from countries affected by the outbreak will have their temperature measured, checked for rashes and asked about their travel history. The government is also preparing a 60-room quarantine facility to isolate patients in the event of a widespread outbreak, the health ministry said.

The Southeast Asian nation, which has reported about 800 cases of the MPOX clade II variant since 2022, is keen to contain the virus ahead of the peak tourist season when millions of holidaymakers are expected to visit the country.

Tourism is one of Thailand’s major industries, accounting for about 20% of total employment and about 12% of the nation’s $500 billion economy. Foreign arrivals this year through Aug. 18 jumped about 33% to more than 22.5 million compared with the same period in 2023.