Thailand has reported a suspected case of a dangerous new strain of mpox, known as Clade 1, in a European traveler who recently arrived from Africa. This development has sparked concerns about a potential outbreak, given that the World Health Organization (WHO) has already declared the strain a global public health emergency.
Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, head of Thailand's Department of Disease Control, confirmed that the patient is undergoing quarantine in a hospital. While laboratory tests are still pending, initial evaluations suggest that the patient is infected with Clade 1, rather than the less severe Clade 2.
"We are confident that the patient has the Clade 1 variant of mpox, but we must await the final lab results, which will take another two days," Thongchai stated.
Mpox cases have been rising sharply in Africa, with significant outbreaks reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda since July. The disease, which is transmitted by infected animals and spread among humans through close physical contact, leads to symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, and large skin lesions.
The new Clade 1b strain of mpox is particularly concerning due to its higher mortality rate and increased transmissibility. It is estimated that Clade 1b has a fatality rate of about 3.6%, with children being at higher risk. The virus, originally identified in monkeys in Denmark in 1958, was formerly known as monkeypox.
As of August 15, Sweden reported its first confirmed case of Clade 1 outside Africa. In the Democratic Republic of Congo alone, there have been over 16,000 reported cases and approximately 500 deaths this year.
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