Singapore to test seafarers for monkeypox

The island state of Singapore is now stepping up its efforts against mpox, also known as monkeypox, and will now be testing seafarers visiting the state for the virus.

The new stricter requirements are intended to improve the monitoring of the development of the infection and act as a preventive measure, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Singapore. 

”(…) from 23 August 2024, we will put in place temperature and visual screening at Changi and Seletar airports for inbound travellers and crew arriving on flights from places which may be exposed to the risk of mpox outbreaks,” the statement reads. 

Similar tests will also be conducted at sea checkpoints for crew members and passengers arriving by ship from smallpox-affected areas, according to the authority. 

Since the beginning of 2024, increasing numbers of monkeypox infections have been detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo, from where it has spread to several neighboring countries on the African continent. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has since declared a global health crisis following a new variant of monkeypox. 

In August, Sweden had the first case of the more severe and infectious variant of mpox, clade I.

As of August 22, there have been 13 confirmed cases of smallpox in Singapore, all of which are of the mild variety. No cases of Mpox Clade I have been found in Singapore to date, which is the form of the virus that is severe and can cause severe illness. 

On August 22, Thailand’s Ministry of Disease Control announced that the first case in Asia of another harmful variant, Mpox IB, was found in a 66-year-old European man.

Mpox is a viral infection that causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms that can be associated with an increased risk of severe illness and, in the worst case, death. However, most cases are mild. 

(English edit by Katrine Gøthler)