Thailand announced on Wednesday the registration of its first potential case of the more dangerous new strain of monkeypox (Empox), which the World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency.
The patient arrived in Bangkok on August 14 and was admitted to the hospital after symptoms of Empox were detected the following morning, according to Thongchai Kiratihatayakorn, head of the Disease Control Department in the Southeast Asian kingdom.
Laboratory tests are being conducted to identify the strain, but officials suspect it is from clade I (Clade 1). The patient, a 66-year-old European, came to Thailand from an African country and has been isolated.
First Recorded Case
Thongchai told Agence France-Presse, “We have conducted tests, and it is certain the person has Empox. It is definitely not from clade II (Clade 2).”
He added, “We are convinced that the person is infected with clade I, but we need to wait two more days for the final lab results.”
Health officials are monitoring 42 people who were in close contact with the patient, Thongchai said at a press conference.
Rising Number of Cases in Africa
The number of monkeypox cases in Africa is increasing, with cases reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda since July.
Monkeypox is an infectious disease caused by a virus that is transmitted to humans from infected animals but can also be spread between humans through close physical contact. It causes fever, muscle pain, and skin rash. Although monkeypox has been known for decades, a new, more fatal, and transmissible strain, “Clade 1B,” has caused a recent increase in cases.
“Clade 1B” results in the death of approximately 3.6% of cases, with children being more at risk, according to the World Health Organization. The virus was discovered in 1958 in Denmark in research monkeys.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has recorded more than 16,000 cases and 500 deaths this year, and on August 15, Sweden reported the first confirmed case of “Clade 1” outside Africa.
On Wednesday, the Philippines announced that its first recorded monkeypox case this year is not of the “Clade 1B” strain.
