KUALA LUMPUR — The country’s first positive case of Mpox for this year with the clade II strain was detected yesterday, the Health director-general said.
Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said the patient is currently in isolation and is in stable condition.
“The patient’s close contacts are in the process of being identified and will be monitored according to tight standard operating procedures,” he said in a statement today.
The male patient had no history of travel abroad in the last 21 days before showing symptoms, he added.
His first symptoms of fever, sore throat and cough were on September 11.
A rash appeared the following day, on September 12.
Radzi said the positive case was detected out of 58 suspected cases which have been referred to the Health Ministry this year, to date.
“All the 10 previous cases in Malaysia from July 26, 2023 till now were of the clade II strain,” Radzi said.
While in general, Mpox cases can heal on their own without treatment, Radzi said the public should take precautions to prevent the virus from spreading.
They should be alert to Mpox symptoms of high fever, swollen lymph nodes and the appearance of blisters or rashes on various parts of the body.
“The incubation period for Mpox before symptoms emerge is around 21 days from the time of exposure to an infected person.
“Immediate treatment should be sought at the nearest healthcare facility, while direct touch with individuals showing symptoms should be avoided, including sexual relations.
“Continue practicing personal hygiene by washing hands with soap and water and using hand sanitiser,” he said.
Radzi also cautioned that person with Mpox is infectious for the period beginning a day before symptoms emerge until all blister rashes have healed.
Frontliners are to take precautions as well, and be extra alert of patients coming to healthcare facilities with Mpox symptoms.
Proper sampling must be taken from suspected cases and notified to health district offices through the e-notification system, he added.
The clade II strain is the previous mutation before the more infectious clade 1b strain currently. The World Health Organisation in August last year declared the Mpox clade 1b strain a global public health emergency.
Clade 1b emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa last year, as a mutation of the Clade 1 strain which had been in the Congo since 2022.
The newer strain, which was spread from person-to-person contact, has been found to cause more severe illness and death.
Other countries which have reported the Mpox clade 1b strain are in Africa, parts of Europe, and in Asia, Thailand, Pakistan and the Philippines. — September 17, 2024