Following a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) that cases of monkeypox have emerged in several countries, health officials in Laos are on high alert.
According to Dr. Lattanaxay Phetsouvanh, Director-General of the Department of Communicable Disease Control, health officials will screen international arrivals and request travel history.
Travelers who have visited countries where the virus is endemic, such as Central and West Africa will be denied entry into Laos.
Dr. Lattanaxay said that human cases of monkeypox have been reported outside of Africa, including in Europe, the United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom, and have been linked to international travel or imported animals.
Immediate actions are being taken to focus on providing accurate information to those who are most at risk of infection in order to prevent further spread.
According to WHO, available data suggests that human-to-human transmission occurs among people in close physical contact with symptomatic cases.
Thailand announced it had established an emergency operation center earlier this week to monitor the spread of the monkeypox virus.
A Thai medical center has also begun developing a Monkeypox test using genetic data provided by Portugal and Belgium.
