Singapore Tightens Mpox Surveillance Amid Rising Global Concerns

Singapore has identified 13 mpox Clade 2 cases this year. The health ministry assures that these infections are of the 'less severe' variant. Thailand has confirmed a case of the more concerning Clade 1b strain. As a precaution, Singapore will begin temperature screenings of travelers from affected regions.

Singapore has detected 13 cases of mpox Clade 2 infections this year, the Ministry of Health announced in a Thursday bulletin.

All mpox infections in the city-state so far have been identified as the 'less severe' Clade 2 strain, according to health officials. On the same day, Thailand confirmed that an mpox case reported earlier in the week was the Clade 1b strain, marking the second case of this variant outside Africa. Clade 1b has raised global alarms due to its high transmissibility through routine close contact.

The World Health Organization has declared the spread of this new variant a public health emergency of international concern. Singapore remains vigilant, closely monitoring the global situation.

As a precautionary measure, Singapore's health ministry will start screening the temperatures of travelers arriving at Changi and Seletar airports from regions at risk of mpox outbreaks starting Friday.

(With inputs from agencies.)