The Health Bureau (SSM) announced in a statement yesterday that it had received a report of one imported mpox* case involving a young male local resident.
According to the statement, the patient had developed symptoms including fever, headache, and muscle pain on August 18 while travelling abroad, developing a skin rash the following day and self-medicating without seeking medical attention.
When he returned to Macau, the statement said he visited the private Kiang Wu Hospital for consultation and sample collection on Monday, testing positive for mpox. As his symptoms persisted, he subsequently sought care at the public Conde S. Januário Hospital Centre and is currently receiving inpatient treatment. The statement noted that he was in stable condition.
The statement added that the patient’s cohabitants have not shown symptoms, though the bureau will still arrange for them to receive the mpox vaccine.
The statement pointed out that the patient had, according to epidemiological investigations, engaged in “high-risk sexual behaviour in the Chinese mainland during the incubation period”. He had no high-risk sexual behaviour in Macau or after symptom onset, and denied contact with rodents or primates. He had not been vaccinated for the disease.
Mpox, according to the statement, spreads primarily through high-risk sexual behavior – especially among individuals with multiple partners or men who have sex with men—as well as through direct contact with infected skin lesions, contaminated objects, prolonged face-to-face respiratory droplets, or infected animals like rodents and primates.
The Health Bureau urged the public to practise safe sex and avoid casual or multiple partners, as well as avoid contact with people, animals, or contaminated items suspected to be infected. Moreover, the bureau said that if symptoms appear, one should immediately seek medical attention, disclose relevant exposure history, and avoid sexual activity or close contact with others, the statement said.
The statement added that “high-risk individuals aged 18 or above (including men who have sex with men) may consider getting vaccinated against mpox”.
The bureau emphasised that, according to information from the WHO and other regions, general public risk remains low and mass vaccination is unnecessary. The statement said it carries a low global fatality rate of around 0.1 percent in non-endemic areas.
Pre-exposure vaccination is available for high-risk individuals via local health centres. Macau residents assessed as high risk can receive the vaccine free of charge, while non-resident workers or those legally permitted to stay in Macau may receive paid shots, while tourists remain ineligible.
*In late 2022, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended transitioning from “monkeypox” to “mpox” to mitigate racist and stigmatising language online, as well as to prevent inaccurate associations with monkeys (rodents are actually the main primary reservoir). – Gemini
This image downloaded from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the symptoms of mpox.
