Thailand has confirmed the first known case in Asia of a more dangerous strain of mpox, detected in a patient who recently traveled to an African country. The patient, a 66-year-old European man, arrived in Bangkok on August 14 and was hospitalized after exhibiting symptoms consistent with mpox.
On Thursday, August 22, the Department of Disease Control announced that laboratory tests had confirmed the patient was infected with the mpox Clade 1b strain, a variant noted for being both more transmissible and deadlier than previous strains.
"Thailand’s Department of Disease Control confirms that lab tests have detected mpox Clade 1b in a European patient," the department stated, adding that the World Health Organization (WHO) would be notified of this development.
Health authorities have identified 43 individuals who had close contact with the patient, and these individuals are currently under observation. Although none of them have shown symptoms so far, they will continue to be monitored for a total of 21 days as a precaution.
In response to this confirmed case, the Thai government has implemented stricter health measures. Travelers from 42 "high-risk" countries are now required to register and undergo testing upon arrival in Thailand.
Mpox, a viral disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans and also spread through close human-to-human contact, has seen a rise in cases and fatalities in several African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda since July. The World Health Organization has declared the new Clade 1b variant a global public health emergency and has urged vaccine manufacturers to expedite production to address the outbreak.
According to WHO data, Clade 1b has a fatality rate of approximately 3.6%, with children being particularly vulnerable. Despite the seriousness of the strain, Thai health officials, including Dr. Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, head of the Department of Disease Control, emphasized that mpox is less likely to spread rapidly compared to COVID-19, as it generally requires close physical contact for transmission.
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