Monkeypox has spread to 50 countries after entering Singapore.

Singapore confirmed its first case of monkeypox on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. This is the first reported case of monkeypox in Southeast Asia in 2022, following a trend of transmission in dozens of other countries since the beginning of the year.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this type of monkeypox virus was first discovered infecting monkeys in 1958, while the first case of human infection was found in 1970.

Previously, monkeypox was only found in West and Central Africa. However, in recent weeks, monkeypox transmission has occurred outside its original region.

The WHO noted that, as of Wednesday, June 22, 2022, there were approximately 3,400 confirmed cases of monkeypox spread across 50 countries.

Twenty-nine of these countries are in Europe, with the highest number of cases in the UK, reaching 793 cases.

Monkeypox cases have also been found in 8 African countries, 7 American countries, and 3 countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

In the Western Pacific region, three countries have recorded cases: Australia, South Korea, and Singapore.

Quoting Reuters, the monkeypox patient in Singapore is a British male flight attendant. The patient is recorded to have flown in and out of Singapore since mid-June 2022.

The patient is currently quarantined in Singapore, along with 13 other individuals known to have been in close contact with him.

(Also Read: Monkeypox Surpasses 3,300 Cases, Reaches South Korea)