Thailand has reported a suspected case of the new, more dangerous Clade 1 strain of mpox. The patient is a European 66-year-old man with residency in Thailand. He recently traveled from an African country and is currently in quarantine at a Bangkok hospital.
Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn who is the head of Thailand’s Department of Disease Control confirmed the patient tested positive for mpox. The initial tests indicate it is not Clade 2. “We are confident it is the Clade 1 variant, but we must wait for final lab results in two days,” Thongchai told AFP.
Thailand has not previously identified Clade 1 or Clade 1b but has recorded 800 cases of Clade 2 since 2022. The European patient arrived in Thailand on August 14 sought medical attention the next day. He is being monitored, and authorities are tracking 43 individuals who may have had contact with him.
This comes just days after Dr Yong Poovorawan said that the Clade 1b subvariant poses a particular risk in Thailand. Dr Yong Poovorawan is currently Head of the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University. The Clade 1b subvariant poses a bigger risk as it can be transmitted via respiratory droplets, poses a particular risk in Thailand.
Mpox has been surging in Africa with significant outbreaks since July. Especially the severe Clade 1b strain. DR Congo alone has reported over 16,000 cases and 500 deaths this year.
