KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — The Health Ministry (MOH) today confirmed there are two cases of monkeypox in the country.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said a case confirmed on July 26 was a foreign man, while the second was confirmed on July 29 in a local man, who was a contact of the first case.
“The first case involves a foreign man who has been living and working in Malaysia since April 2022. He has a history of travelling to a country with reported cases of monkeypox on July 6 this year and returned to Malaysia on July 10.
“He started showing symptoms on July 19, blisters started appearing on July 23 and he was isolated, and he was released on August 10 after making a full recovery without complications,” he said in a statement today.
Dr Radzi said the second patient experienced symptoms in quarantine after he came into contact with the index case, and was confirmed positive on July 29.
“He is still in isolation and is in good health. All contacts of the first case have been identified and their health status monitored. No one experienced any symptoms except for the second case. The second case did not have any close contact,” he said.
He said all travellers arriving from countries with reported monkeypox cases are advised to monitor their health for 21 days from their date of arrival in Malaysia.
“All medical practitioners have been urged to be sensitive to individuals with blisters who turn up for treatment, especially among high-risk groups.
Dr Radzi said currently, there are 10 laboratories — eight government laboratories and two private laboratories — providing monkeypox detection test services, and the nearest health office should be notified of suspected cases through the e-Notification system, so further investigation and control measures can be carried out by district health offices.
He said monkeypox is a type of viral infection that occurs through close contact with symptomatic individuals.
“The incubation period, before an individual starts showing symptoms, is between five and 21 days from the date of exposure. Individuals who test positive for monkeypox can infect others a day before symptoms appear, until all their blisters have completely dried up. Usually, monkeypox cases will heal on their own without specific treatment.
“The symptoms of monkeypox are fever, fatigue, headache and a maculopapular rash, which starts on the face and spreads to the palms and soles, followed by other parts of the body. Patients may also experience fatigue, pain in the back or joints and swollen lymph nodes,” he said.
— Bernama
