The silent, rapidly unfolding threat of mpox spread via international travel to Southeast Asia: Are we ready?

The 2022 mpox (monkeypox) outbreak has been surprisingly large and has raised several novel questions about this disease. New information, such as atypical clinical manifestations and transmission via sexual activities, have been identified. These pose a potential risk of widespread outbreaks due to unusual clinical manifestations and failure to consider mpox as a diagnosis by physicians and the sexual behaviours of some tourists in Southeast Asia. Since Southeast Asia is a popular tourist destination, there is substantial potential for the silent spread of mpox in this region. Consequently, there is an urgent need for effective surveillance measures at points of entry of international travelers to identify suspected cases and their close contacts in order to limit the spread of mpox in Southeast Asia.

Automated summary

The 2022 monkeypox outbreak has been unexpectedly large and has raised new questions about the disease. Unusual clinical manifestations and transmission via sexual activities have been identified, posing a potential risk of widespread outbreaks. Failure to consider monkeypox as a diagnosis by physicians and the sexual behaviors of tourists in Southeast Asia contribute to the potential spread of the disease in the region. Effective surveillance measures at points of entry for international travelers are urgently needed to identify suspected cases and their close contacts in order to limit the spread of monkeypox in Southeast Asia.