Thailand’s First Mpox Case Raises Alarm Over Deadly New Strain

Thailand reported a suspected first case of the newly identified, more dangerous mpox strain on Wednesday. The patient, a European traveler who arrived from an African country, is currently quarantined in a hospital. Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, head of Thailand’s Department of Disease Control, indicated that laboratory tests are ongoing to confirm the exact strain, but preliminary results suggest it is Clade 1, not the less severe Clade 2.

Thongchai confirmed that the patient has tested positive for mpox, but results to definitively identify the Clade 1 variant will take an additional two days. Mpox cases have been escalating in Africa, with outbreaks reported in countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda since July.

The disease, transmitted through contact with infected animals and human-to-human through close physical interaction, is characterized by fever, muscle aches, and large skin lesions. The newer Clade 1b strain is notably more lethal and transmissible, with a fatality rate of about 3.6%, particularly affecting children.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, was first discovered in Denmark in 1958. Sweden reported its first confirmed case of Clade 1 outside Africa on August 15, further highlighting the global spread of this strain.