Thailand has detected a possible case of mpox in a 66-year-old European man who arrived from an undisclosed African country on 14 August. Health officials are currently awaiting test results to confirm whether the patient is infected with the Clade 1b variant, which has recently raised global alarm for its increased transmissibility.
The man has been isolated in a hospital while further tests are conducted.
This case marks the first potential instance of the Clade 1 variant being detected in Thailand. Since 2022, Thailand has recorded 800 cases of the Clade 2 variant but has not previously encountered Clade 1 or Clade 1b.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. However, the WHO has emphasized that while mpox is serious, it is not comparable to the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus, which causes fever, muscle aches, and distinctive boil-like skin lesions, has a well-established profile and control measures. However, it can be fatal in severe cases.
Mpox mainly spreads through direct contact with infected animals or people, consuming contaminated meat, or through sexual contact. It can also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy.
Clade 1b, a newer and more virulent strain, has been responsible for recent surges in cases across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda since July.
The global health community is closely monitoring this development as efforts to manage and contain the outbreak continue.
