Officials have placed 43 near contacts of individual under monitoring
PUBLISHED: 23 Aug 2024 at 12: 26
As the infection spreads to more countries around the world after the World Health Organization ( WHO ) declared the outbreak in Africa a new global health emergency, Thailand was the first country in Asia to identify the newly mutated mpox virus strain.
According to the Public Health Ministry’s Department of Disease Control ( DDC ), the patient had arrived in Bangkok last week from Africa and had tested positive for clade Ib. Authorities have identified 43 close contacts of the 66-year-old person and put them under security. According to the government, they will be monitored for any signs for 21 weeks and are required to visit a doctor if they experience disease, rashes, or enlarged lymph nodes.
The client arrived in Bangkok on August 15 and was admitted to a doctor with his illnesses and signs. The variant was confirmed by laboratory assessments on Thursday as genus Ib, and Thailand may submit a report to the WHO, according to the department in a statement.
Thailand, which is dependent on tourism, announced it would tighten testing and surveillance measures at all of its global access points, including the Samut Prakan airport in Samut Prakan province. Travelers from 42 nations who have had mpox will need to apply online for a visa before traveling to Thailand and have their heath checked out at home in accordance with international standards, according to the department.
More than 500 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a result of the new strain, which has been reported to be spreading throughout various American nations. More than 60 % of known catastrophic situations are attributed to children and adolescents, who are the most affected by the pandemic that is now roiling Africa.
The recent strain, which causes fluid-containing lesions, is spreading through all forms of sexual contact, in contrast to an earlier, softer strain that erupted in 2022 and was primarily spread through men who had sex with men.
Asian nations from China to India and Pakistan, many of which are densely populated, have recently increased security. Travelers from affected nations were being asked to self-report their symptoms, and facilities were on call for suspected cases.
Thailand announced that it would list any travelers who have mpox symptoms, and that visitors from nations with outbreaks may have their temperatures measured, rashes checked, and go histories questioned. According to the Ministry of Public Health, the state is also building a 60-room quarantine facility to keep patients at bay in the event of a severe outbreak.
The Southeast Asian country is determined to have the disease as it enters the busy holiday season when thousands of holidaymakers are expected to travel to the country, which has reported about 800 cases of mpox genus II subtype since 2022.
Tourism is one of Thailand’s key industries accounting for about 20 % of total jobs and making up roughly 12 % of the country’s US$ 500 billion economy. Between this time last year and August 18, international arrivals increased by 33 % to over 22.5 million from the same time last year.