A viral photo on social media (here, here, and here) shows a man with Monkeypox lesions on his back. The caption warns that Monkeypox is spreading in Singapore with 10 reported cases and urges people to wear masks, wash hands, and avoid crowds because it’s highly contagious. Let’s verify the claim through this article.
Claim: Photo shows the first case of Monkeypox in Singapore in 2024.
Fact: The viral photo is old. It shows a severe monkeypox case from 11 October 2022, in Mexico. Mexican specialist José Hiram Hernández Jerónimo confirmed it, noting the patient had over 250 sores and a weakened immune system. This confirms that the photo has no connection to Singapore. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
A reverse image search led us to a photo posted by Mexican infectious disease specialist José Hiram Hernández Jerónimo on 11 October 2022. He said it showed a severe case of monkeypox with over 250 sores. In the comments, he also mentioned that the patient had a weakened immune system. This confirms that the photo in the viral post is not recent.
As part of our investigation, we looked at the Ministry of Health, Singapore website and found that as of 22 August 2024, there have been 13 confirmed cases of monkeypox in 2024. All of these cases are of the less severe Clade II type. So far, no cases of the more serious Clade I type have been detected in Singapore.
To sum up, the viral photo, showing a severe monkeypox case from October 2022, in Mexico is being shared as showing a recent 2024 outbreak in Singapore.
