Asia on high alert for monkeypox as cases reported from India to Japan

Countries across Asia are on high alert for monkeypox, screening travelers and scrambling teams of medics, as they report their first cases of the virus, now identified as a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Japanese authorities on Monday announced the first detected case of monkeypox in the country -- a Tokyo resident in his 30s who had returned from Europe in mid-July. The man had developed fatigue followed by a fever, rash and headache, Health Ministry officials told reporters.

He is currently receiving treatment in hospital and was "in a stable condition," officials added, declining to reveal further details about the patient, including his nationality.