Hong Kong, which has reported 13 cases this year, said in response to the WHO announcement that it would continue to “closely monitor” the situation and “strengthen preventive measures.”
“The public is urged to step up vigilance and avoid close contact with people suspected of having MPOX infection,” authorities said in a press release on Thursday, and high-risk groups have been advised to get vaccinated, the government said in a press release.
The Hong Kong Department of Health has also instructed doctors and hospitals to report suspected MPOX cases for rapid epidemiological investigation and contact tracing, and issued travel health advice for travelers to Africa.
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a level 1 health alert on Thursday, urging caution among travelers to or residents of seven African countries, according to NHK.
Southeast Asia on alert
According to figures released by the WHO, nearly 100,000 confirmed cases have been reported since 2022, with 208 reported deaths.
In 2022, cases have been reported in Asian countries such as India, Japan, and Singapore.
Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Thursday that the immediate public health risk from the MPOX outbreak in the country remains low, adding that precautionary measures were being taken.
“There has been cross-border spread of the potentially severe MPOX lineage I in parts of Central and East Africa, but so far the outbreak has been contained to the continent and no cases of lineage I having been exported outside the continent have been reported,” the Ministry of Health said.
“All MPOX infections detected in Singapore to date have been milder clade II infections that occurred during the 2022-2023 global pandemic.”
