Singapore has accused an unnamed 38-year-old Nigerian of bringing monkeypox to the country.
In a statement late Thursday by its health ministry, Singapore said the Nigerian contracted the virus by eating bush meat at a wedding.
The statement also said the man arrived in the country on April 28.
The man developed symptoms two days later and is currently isolated at an infectious disease centre in a stable condition, the ministry said.
The case is the first reported in Singapore.
At least 23 individuals who had been in close contact with the man had been traced, and those who are in Singapore will be quarantined and monitored for 21 days as a precaution, it said.
Monkeypox is transmitted via close contact with infected animals such as rodents and monkeys and is limited between people.
Executive Director of Singapore’s National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Leo Yee Sin, assured that “the risk of community spread of monkeypox in Singapore is low” as “each infected person transmits the infection to less than one other person.”
