Gooi said that he was informed by the state health department that there were no reported cases in Penang.

He also advised the public not to share fake news to prevent sparking panic.

“Please check with either the Penang health department or the health ministry’s websites for the latest information on the matter,” he said.

According to the message that has since gone viral, “monkeypox has rapidly spread to Penang” and that the virus was contracted via contact with animals.

Mpox was previously known as monkeypox.

Meanwhile, Gooi said that since the mpox outbreak, the state had enhanced measures to prevent the virus from spreading to Penang.

“We have enhanced our surveillance at all international entry points such as the Penang International Airport and the Penang Port.”

The health ministry has also set up an mpox operations room to monitor the situation, he said.

Earlier today, the health ministry said 33 suspected mpox cases had been reported across public healthcare facilities in the country this year.

Of the total, 32 have been confirmed negative while the lab result is pending for one case.

On Aug 14, the World Health Organization declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern.