close
close

Asia confirms first case of deadlier Mpox variant

Top line

Thailand confirmed on Thursday that a case of Mpox reported earlier this week was the new clade Ib strain, only the second time the deadlier variant has been identified outside Africa as governments worldwide step up surveillance and containment efforts to combat the virus.

Key data

Thailand's Ministry of Disease Control said tests had confirmed the country's first case of the new, more dangerous Mpox strain, which is linked to a growing outbreak in Africa.

The case involves a 66-year-old European who arrived in Bangkok last week from an unspecified African country, the authority said.

This is the first known case of the mpox variant of clade Ib in Asia and only the second known case outside Africa after Sweden confirmed an infection with the dangerous new variant last week.

The man was admitted to hospital with MPOX symptoms shortly after his arrival, but his symptoms were not severe, officials said, adding that he has been under quarantine since then.

The director general of Thailand's Department of Disease Control, Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, told Reuters the man was “probably infected in an endemic country”.

Contact tracing has not identified any further local infections, Keeratihattayakorn said.

News Peg

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared an international health emergency due to an escalating Mpox outbreak in central Africa. The declaration, which followed a similar warning from Africa's top health body, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, is WHO's highest level of alert under international law. It is the second time the name has been used for Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, in as many years, after the WHO raised the alarm in 2022 about a global outbreak spreading mainly among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, and it was the first time the virus caused a significant outbreak outside Africa. Mpox often causes mild illness with symptoms such as rash, fever and muscle aches, though the virus can be fatal and is especially dangerous for young children, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant people. It is transmitted through contact with an infected person, animal or contaminated material such as sheets. The current outbreak is caused by an offshoot of an Mpox virus variant (Clade I) that was historically restricted to Central Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo, and is considered much more deadly than the Clade II variant responsible for the global outbreak in 2022, and appears to have evolved to be more easily transmitted through contact. Africa CDC officials say there have been more than 17,000 suspected cases and more than 500 deaths so far this year.

What are countries doing to combat Mpox?

Many countries have stepped up surveillance efforts to catch Mpox cases entering the country. Group II infections have been detected or reported in the Philippines, Pakistan and Singapore in the past week. Singapore said it would begin taking temperatures of travelers from areas at risk of outbreaks on Friday, and China said last week it would monitor goods and passengers for the virus over the next six months. Health authorities such as the WHO have stressed that travel or trade bans are not needed to control the outbreak. Other countries, particularly in affected parts of Africa, are securing vaccine supplies from companies such as Danish biotechnology company Bavarian Nordic, which says it can deliver two million doses this year and another eight million by the end of next year.

Get SMS alerts for Forbes Breaking News: We're launching SMS alerts to keep you up to date with the most important headlines of the day. Text alerts to (201) 335-0739 or sign up Here.

More information

ForbesWHO declares Mpox a health emergency – what you should knowFrom Robert Hart

You may also like...