Thailand has confirmed the first case of the new, more deadly strain of MPOX in Asia in a patient who travelled to Thailand from Africa.
The Department of Disease Control announced that laboratory tests on a 66-year-old man confirmed that he was infected with the mpox Clade 1b variant.
“The Department of Disease Control wishes to confirm the test results showing that the European patient is infected with MPOX lineage 1b,” the department said in a statement, adding that it would also inform the World Health Organisation (WHO) of the development.
The World Health Organization has declared the new variant a global public health emergency and called on manufacturers to ramp up vaccine production.
The patient arrived in Bangkok on August 14 and was taken to the hospital with symptoms of MPOX.
“43 people who had close contact with the patient have been monitored and so far none have shown any symptoms but they need to continue being monitored for a total of 21 days,” the health ministry said.
The ministry added that anyone travelling to Thailand from 42 “risk countries” must register and undergo testing upon arrival.
Africa is seeing a surge in chickenpox cases and deaths, with outbreaks reported since July in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
Sweden also confirmed its first cases of the more contagious variant in early August, and Argentina quarantined a cargo ship after there were suspected cases of MPOX infection on board, but it is unclear whether this is the new, faster-spreading variant.
The disease is caused by a virus that is transmitted by infected animals but can also be spread from person to person through close physical contact, causing fever, muscle aches and large, boil-like skin lesions.
Mpox has been known for decades, but a new, more deadly and contagious strain (known as clade 1b) is responsible for the recent surge in cases.
According to the WHO, clade 1b causes death in about 3.6% of cases, with children more at risk.
But Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, director-general of Thailand's Department of Disease Control, said MPOX is much less likely to spread more quickly than COVID-19 because infection requires close contact.
Agence France-Presse and Reuters
