In a statement, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said there was little likelihood of human-to-human infection especially as most of the cases were spread in West and Central Africa in situations where humans and animals had been in contact.

Noor Hisham said the risk of the virus spreading in Malaysia was low unless there was a history of a person coming into contact with animals or patients who had contracted monkeypox.

“We hope the early action of all parties would prevent the entry of the monkeypox virus into Malaysia,” he said.

An advisory note at the health ministry website says people should avoid contact with wild animals and avoid eating the flesh of wild animals. Travellers who exhibit symptoms within three weeks should seek treatment and isolate themselves for at least 21 days.

Monkeypox is usually a mild viral illness characterised by symptoms of fever as well as a distinctive bumpy rash. First identified in monkeys, the disease typically spreads through close contact and has rarely spread outside Africa.

More than 100 confirmed or suspected cases have been recorded in Europe and North America. However, scientists do not expect the outbreak to evolve into a pandemic like Covid-19.