Singapore Reports First Domestic Spread of Mutated Mpox Strain

Singapore said a mutated monkeypox strain has spread locally for the first time, marking a new emergence of the potentially deadly virus in Asia while it continues to spread through Africa.

Two men aged 30 and 34 are in stable condition after “likely being infected through sexual activities,” according to a statement from Singapore’s communicable diseases agency on Thursday. The pathogen mpox clade Ib, which mainly spreads through intimate or prolonged close contact, was declared a global health emergency in 2024 after a fast-spreading outbreak in Africa.