Thailand confirms first case of new Mpox strain in Asia, 43 contacts under observation – Firstpost

Thailand on Thursday confirmed the first known case of a new, more deadly strain of Mpox in Asia in a European man who landed in Bangkok from Africa on August 14.

According to a Bloomberg According to a report citing the Thai Ministry of Public Health’s Disease Control Department, the patient tested positive for clade Ib and authorities have identified and placed 43 of the patient’s close contacts under observation.

“The Thai Department of Disease Control would like to confirm the laboratory test result showing Mpox Clade 1b in a European patient,” the Department of Disease Control was quoted as saying in a statement. The World Health Organization (WHO) will be informed of the development, it added.

“We have monitored 43 people who have had close contact with the patient and so far they have not shown any symptoms, but we need to continue monitoring for a total of 21 days,” the statement added.

The patient was admitted to hospital due to Mpox-related illnesses and symptoms on August 15, one day after arriving in Bangkok.

The newer strain – with a mortality rate of 3% – has spread to several African countries and is believed to have killed more than 500 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Children and adolescents are also becoming ill, with deaths among patients under 5 exceeding 60%.

Unlike an earlier, milder variant that emerged in 2022 and spread primarily through men having sex with men, the current variant, which causes fluid-containing lesions, spreads through all types of sexual activity and other close physical contact.

Asian countries from China to India to Pakistan, many of which are densely populated, have recently stepped up surveillance, urging travelers from affected countries to self-report symptoms and alerting hospitals to suspected cases.

The patient with Mpox-related symptoms was admitted to hospital on August 15, just one day after arriving in Bangkok.

The new Mpox strain, which has a mortality rate of three percent, is currently spreading in several African countries and has caused over 500 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Children and adolescents are also affected by this virus; the mortality rate in children under five is over 60%.

Unlike the milder variant that emerged in 2022 and primarily affected men who have sex with men, the current variant causes fluid-filled lesions and is transmitted through various types of sexual activity and other forms of close physical contact, reported Bloomberg.

Asian countries such as China, India and Pakistan, many of which have high population densities, have recently stepped up surveillance efforts. Travelers from affected regions are asked to report any symptoms and hospitals are on heightened alert to detect possible cases.

With contributions from agencies