Thailand has reported Asia’s first known case of a new, deadlier strain of mpox, confirmed in a 66-year-old European patient who arrived in Bangkok on August 14. The Thai Department of Disease Control announced on Thursday that laboratory tests have identified the patient as being infected with mpox Clade 1b, a variant of the virus that has been causing surges in cases and fatalities in Africa.
The patient, who was promptly hospitalized after displaying symptoms, is currently under medical care. Authorities are closely monitoring 43 individuals who had close contact with the patient, though none have shown symptoms thus far. The monitoring will continue for a total of 21 days.
The Department of Disease Control has emphasized the importance of vigilance, particularly for travelers from 42 “risk countries,” who are required to register and undergo testing upon arrival in Thailand.
Mpox, which was formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that spreads through close physical contact, causing symptoms such as fever, muscular aches, and severe skin lesions. The newly identified Clade 1b variant has proven to be more transmissible and deadly, with a mortality rate of approximately 3.6%, especially affecting children.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global public health emergency over this variant, urging vaccine manufacturers to increase production. The disease has hit African countries particularly hard, with the Democratic Republic of Congo reporting over 16,000 cases and 500 deaths this year alone.
Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, head of Thailand’s Department of Disease Control, noted that despite the severity of the new strain, mpox is less likely to spread as rapidly as COVID-19 due to the necessity of close contact for transmission.
As Thailand informs the WHO of this development, health authorities remain on high alert, working to prevent further spread of the virus in the region.
