Tengrinews.kz – Thailand has reported the first suspected case of infection with a new, more dangerous strain of monkeypox in a European tourist.
According to The Independent, the patient, a 66-year-old man from an African country who arrived on August 14, is likely infected with the more deadly Clade 1 variant. The World Health Organization recently warned about the potential threat posed by this strain.
The man, who arrived in Thailand on August 14, sought medical help the next day and had minimal contact with others.
“After arriving from his flight, he had very little time to interact with other people. He arrived around 6:00 PM and saw a doctor at the hospital the following day, August 15,” said Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, head of the Department of Disease Control.
Authorities are monitoring 43 people who may have had contact with the patient.
“Tests confirmed the presence of mpox but excluded the Clade 2 strain. The patient likely has the Clade 1 strain, but final confirmation will come in two days after laboratory tests,” said Thongchai.
Previously, Thailand had reported 800 cases of the Clade 2 variant, but cases of Clade 1 or Clade 1b had not been recorded.
Meanwhile, the European tourist has been placed in quarantine, and laboratory tests are ongoing for final strain identification.
There are two main clades of the Mpox virus: Clade 1 and Clade 2. Clade 2 caused the global outbreak that began in 2022, while Clade 1 is considered more dangerous and has serious health consequences.
WHO declared a public health emergency due to the new mpox outbreak in several African countries and beyond. Over 17,000 cases and 571 deaths have been reported in Africa. Thailand has increased controls for passengers from Africa at international airports and ports.
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