Thailand Reports Suspected Case of New, More Deadly Mpox Strain

The World Health Organization has declared a global public health emergency due to the rapid spread of mpox, a virus that has been known for decades. Thailand has now reported a suspected case of the new, more dangerous strain of mpox, which has been spreading rapidly in Africa.

According to health officials, the patient, a 66-year-old European who traveled to Thailand from an African country, landed in Bangkok on August 14 and was hospitalized the next morning with mpox symptoms. Laboratory tests are underway to confirm the strain, but officials believe it to be from Clade 1.

The infected person has been quarantined, and health officials are monitoring 42 people who came into close contact with the patient. Mpox cases and deaths are surging in Africa, where outbreaks have been reported in several countries since July.

Mpox is a virus transmitted by infected animals, but it can be passed from human to human through close physical contact. The disease causes fever, muscular aches, and large boil-like skin lesions. While mpox has been known for decades, a new, more deadly, and more transmissible strain, known as Clade 1b, has driven the recent surge in cases.

Clade 1b causes death in about 3.6 percent of cases, with children being more at risk, according to the World Health Organization. The virus was formerly known as monkeypox and was discovered in 1958 in Denmark in monkeys kept for research. The Democratic Republic of Congo has reported more than 16,000 cases and 500 deaths this year.

Sweden recently reported the first confirmed Clade 1 case outside Africa on August 15. The global health community is closely monitoring the situation, and it is essential for individuals to take precautions to prevent the spread of the virus.