Thailand has confirmed Asia’s first known case of infection with the new, more lethal strain of the virus that causes monkeypox in a person who traveled to an African country. The patient is 66 years old, he is European, and the tests confirmed that he was infected with the mpox Clade 1b variant.
Case of mpox infection. PHOTO archive
“Thailand’s disease control department wants to confirm lab test result showing mpox Clade 1b in European patient”the department said in a statement, adding that the World Health Organization (WHO) will be informed of this development, according to The Guardian.
The WHO has declared a global public health emergency over the new variant, urging manufacturers to ramp up vaccine production.
43 people contracted with the man and are now being monitored
The patient with the more lethal form of monkeypox landed in Bangkok on August 14 and was admitted to hospital with symptoms of mpox.
“We have monitored 43 people who were in close contact with the patient, and so far they have not shown any symptoms, but we have to continue monitoring for a total of 21 days”Thailand’s Department of Disease Control said.
Anyone traveling to Thailand from 42 “countries at risk” must register and undergo a test upon arrival, the department said.
The number of illnesses and deaths from mpox is increasing in Africa, where outbreaks have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda since July.
In early August 2024, Sweden confirmed its first case of the more contagious variant of monkeypox, and Argentina quarantined a cargo ship due to a suspected case of mpox on board, although it is not known if it is the new variant with faster spread.
How mpox is transmitted
Monkey pox is a disease caused by a virus transmitted by infected animals, but it is spread from person to person through close physical contact. It causes fever, muscle pain and large boil-like skin lesions.
The mpox virus has been known for decades, but the new strain, known as Clade 1b, which is deadlier and more transmissible, has caused the recent increase in cases.
Clade 1b infection causes death in about 3.6% of cases, with children most at risk, according to the WHO.
The spread of the monkeypox virus is significantly slower compared to the coronavirus
But mpox is highly unlikely to spread as fast or faster than Covid-19 because of the close contact required to contract it, said Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, head of Thailand’s Department of Disease Control.
Measures to avoid contact with monkey pox
We remind you that Mpox or monkey pox is transmitted both from animals to humans and between humans through direct and indirect physical contact and can cause fever, muscle pain and injuries.
This potentially fatal disease can be prevented by following a few measures.
To avoid contact with the virus, health professionals recommend that we avoid physical contact with any person showing lesions similar to those characteristic of monkeypox, not to share personal items with her such as cutlery, clothes or bed linen and to maintain good practices of hygiene, including regular hand washing, reports Mirror US.
In the case of infected people, isolation is recommended, and people who come into contact with them must use appropriate protective measures, such as mask and gloves.
People who have symptoms and suspect monkeypox infection should see a doctor. At the same time, it is important to identify the people who came into contact with the infected patient, in order to prevent the spread of the virus and the effective management of diagnosed cases.
