KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has not received any reports of monkeypox cases linked to adults or children in the country as of 5pm yesterday.
The ministry, on its official Facebook page, said they have not been notified of people infected with the monkeypox virus as stated in a social media message bearing a photograph of a child with lesions on the hands.
"We have not received notifications on such a case. If the photograph is real, we advise the next-of-kin to bring the child to the nearest government health facility immediately so checks and treatment could be facilitated.
"The public are advised not to spread unverified news. Instead, advise the patients or next of kin to get medical advice first on diseases or other health issues ," said the ministry in a post.
The ministry was reacting to a photograph circulating on social media where the user claimed the monkeypox virus was present in Malaysia and that a child had been infected.
"We are not done with Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease and now there is monkeypox. There is no news about this. (Maybe) When there are hundreds of cases, then it becomes news," read the message.
Monkeypox, a zoonotic disease which is endemic in the animal population in western and central Africa, has been reported in Europe, Australia, America, United Arab Emirates as well Slovenia and Czech Republic.
On May 21, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said they are closely monitoring the progress of monkeypox cases based on reports from the World Health Organisation and would conduct surveillance on suspected cases at all the country's international entry points.
The ministry, he said, was also keeping watch on outbreaks in the affected countries while the Institute for Medical Research and the National Public Health Laboratory was able to conduct tests to detect the virus which caused monkeypox among humans.
Dr Noor Hisham urged travellers arriving in the country from locations with monkeypox cases and developed symptoms associated with the virus within three weeks after departing from their previous locations to immediately seek treatment at the nearest health facility.
He also advised Malaysians heading to central and west Africa as well as nations with monkeypox cases to be vigilant and take precautionary measures.