Thailand has identified its first case of the deadlier mpox strain, Clade 1b, marking the first detection of this variant in Asia. The patient, who arrived in Thailand from Africa, landed at Bangkok airport on August 14 and was later hospitalized after exhibiting symptoms of mpox.
The Department of Disease Control in Thailand confirmed the diagnosis of Clade 1b, a strain previously detected in Europe and Africa. The patient, a European national, is receiving medical care in Thailand. This development follows Sweden’s recent identification of the same strain outside of Africa.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified mpox as a public health emergency of international concern due to the rapid spread of Clade 1b, which was initially reported in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This strain is predominantly transmitted through sexual contact, although further research is ongoing into other potential modes of infection, such as through contaminated bedding.
Current WHO data reports over 15,000 suspected mpox cases in the DRC, with 537 deaths. Globally, more than 100,000 cases have been confirmed. Mpox spreads from animals to humans and can be transmitted through close contact with infected individuals or animals, including via respiratory droplets, blood, body fluids, or lesions. Symptoms of the disease include fever, rash, headaches, sore throat, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and backache.