Some Asian countries call for vigilance over monkeypox cases

The Philippines so far reported zero cases of the self-limited disease.

At least two countries in Asia vowed to intensify investigation and reporting to curb the possible spread of the monkeypox virus within their borders after the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported over 92 confirmed cases of the disease in over 12 non-endemic countries.

In a statement on Twitter, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) in the United Arab Emirates said that they are “fully prepared” in investigating and monitoring monkeypox cases. It did not say if it recorded any cases of the virus.

“MoHAP_UAE calls on all UAE health facilities to immediately report any suspected, potential or confirmed #monkeypox case through the electronic reporting system for contagious diseases, to prevent the spread of the disease and ensure the safety of the community,” it wrote.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, its health department said it did not detect any cases of the virus but it will intensify screening at its borders and make sure surveillance systems are active.

As for Australia, WHO said the country already reported about one to five confirmed monkeypox infections.

WHO said monkeypox is a virus contracted by humans from animals with symptoms similar to smallpox patients. It has an incubation period from six to 13 days but can range from five to 21 days.

Emily Martyn, the healthcare analyst in GlobalData, said whilst there is a large outbreak, she said the monkeypox is a manageable disease that is transmitted through animal-to-human contact. Human-to-human contraction is possible for 28% of cases.

There are also existing vaccines for monkeypox, a self-limited disease already eradicated in 1980 but is still present in Central and West Africa areas.

“A vaccine does exist. The vaccine, Jynneos, is developed by the European biotech firm Bavarian Nordic. It is a Live Attenuated Vaccine that also provides immunity against smallpox. Many countries are now buying units just in case of larger outbreaks,” said Martyn.

The monkeypox outbreak may also be mitigated by using COVID-19 systems, added Martyn.

“For now, people should be aware of the outbreak but do not need to be overly concerned until more information is analysed and we understand the outbreak further as we are still in the early days for an outbreak of a very difficult to transmit disease,” Martyn further pointed out.