Health Ministry prepares strategic plan for monkeypox outbreak

PUTAJAYA - The Health Ministry has prepared strategic plans to face the risk of monkeypox spreading in Malaysia.

Its minister Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar said the plans encompassed among others detection procedures and case notifications, taking samples, investigations and management of close contact cases.

"Since May 27, the ministry has added the ‘Health Alert monkeypox' feature in the MySejahtera app," he said in a video that was uploaded on his Facebook account on Wednesday.

He said after filling up the pre departure form in the app, travelers arriving from endemic countries or countries where monkeypox infections were detected will receive an alert as a reminder to do a self-check up and look out for any symptoms.

"To those who are overseas, especially in countries with monkeypox outbreak, stay vigilant.

"Please be careful and avoid activities that would expose yourself to monkeypox," he said.

As of Friday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in America has confirmed that there were over 700 monkeypox cases worldwide.

Monkeypox is a rare disease with symptoms that are milder than the symptoms of smallpox which cause rash, fever, shivering and tiredness.

The outbreak is commonly spread in Central and West Africa, but it has also been reported in European countries since May and the number of countries affected have since risen.