Thailand has confirmed its first case of the new, more contagious mpox variant known as clade 1b, marking the first such case in Asia. The patient, a 66-year-old European man who traveled to Bangkok from Africa, was hospitalized on August 15, a day after arrival. This development comes just days after Sweden reported the first clade 1b case outside of Africa, raising concerns about a potential global outbreak.Thai authorities are closely monitoring the situation, with 43 people who had close contact with the patient under observation for 21 days. Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, stated, ‘The test results confirm that he is infected with the Clade 1b strain of monkeypox, which is the first case diagnosed in Thailand, but this man is likely infected from an endemic country’.Meanwhile, Turkey has been grappling with rumors of suspected mpox cases in Ankara. However, Turkish health authorities, including Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu, have strongly denied these claims. The Ankara Health Directorate issued a statement saying, ‘There are no patients with monkeypox disease in any of our healthcare facilities in Ankara. These claims are baseless and are intended to create unnecessary panic’.The global mpox situation remains concerning, with the World Health Organization (WHO) maintaining its declaration of a public health emergency. The virus has spread rapidly, with 17,541 cases reported in 13 African countries, resulting in 517 deaths. The majority of the deaths, 97%, occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo.As the situation evolves, countries are taking various precautionary measures. Thailand has announced that travelers from 42 ‘high-risk’ countries will be required to register and undergo testing upon arrival. The WHO has called on vaccine manufacturers to expedite the process of adding mpox vaccines to the Emergency Use List, with two vaccines currently being evaluated for emergency use.
Key points
- Thailand confirms first case of new mpox variant (clade 1b) in Asia.
- Turkish health authorities deny rumors of suspected mpox cases in Ankara.
- WHO maintains public health emergency declaration due to rapid spread of mpox, particularly in Africa.
Contradictions👾While Thailand confirms its first case of the new mpox variant, Turkey strongly denies any cases or quarantine measures in Ankara.
