Thailand confirms first case of new mpox variant in Asia

Bangkok (EFE). – Thailand’s Department of Disease Control confirmed on Thursday the first case of infection with the new variant of smallpox mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) group Ib, a patient who arrived in the Southeast Asian country on December 14. August from Africa. .

Lab results confirmed that the 66-year-old patient, whose possible infection was revealed on Wednesday, was infected with the new mpox variant after testing negative for the less contagious clade 2 variant.

Thailand’s Department of Disease Control stressed in a statement that none of the patient’s 43 close contacts had so far shown symptoms such as fever, skin rash and swollen glands, and that it would continue to monitor his condition for 21 days.

First case recorded in Asia

The confirmation of the case in Thailand is the first reported in Asia since the global emergency declared by the World Health Organization (WHO), after results from other patients in Pakistan or the Philippines revealed other variants of the ancient smallpox bun.

Thailand’s Department of Disease Control chief Thongchai Kiratihattaiyakorn today called for enhanced infection control measures – including through close contact with patients – and assured that results would be sent to the WHO as required by protocol, according to a statement.

He also ordered that entry points into the country, especially at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, should step up screening of passengers arriving from countries where cases have been reported.

Public Health Emergency of International Concern

On August 14, WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern due to the increasing incidence of Ompox infections (clade 1 and clade 1b) in Africa, where the virus is circulating intensively.

A dozen African countries have reported nearly 19,000 smallpox cases and more than 540 deaths this year, with the focus now on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), an African public health authority said this week.
Sweden confirmed the first case of clade 1b outside Africa on August 15.

Variants of hoard 1 and hoard 1b

Clade 1 variants and the more recent clade 1b are distinct from the so-called clade 2, which caused a major outbreak in Africa in 2022 and hundreds of cases in Europe, North America and other regions.

What is worrying about the current outbreak is that clade 1b appears to spread more easily between people and tends to cause more severe symptoms, although the WHO has sent a message of confidence, ensuring that the mpox outbreak is “not covid.”