Mpox update: Case reported in Thailand

A new, potentially more deadly strain of the Mpox virus has apparently been discovered in Thailand, adding it to the list of three countries outside Africa where the new strain may have spread.

According to the Thai Ministry of Public Health, the 66-year-old patient arrived from Africa on August 14 and developed mild rashes the following day. The man was hospitalized and initial analyses suggest the virus was a different strain of Mpox than previously circulating, but further tests are needed to confirm this.

In a statement Wednesday, health officials said the 43 passengers who were seated near the infected person on the plane were being closely monitored.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, attracted worldwide attention in 2022 during an outbreak that affected the United States, Europe, Australia, and many other countries. The virus comes in two distinct forms, or “clades” – Clade I and Clade II – and spreads through close contact.

The previous outbreak in the United States and Europe was caused by form II of the virus and was spread primarily through sexual and intimate contact, with men who have sex with other men at highest risk of infection.

Since the beginning of 2024, there have been a suspected 17,000 cases of MPOX in Africa, with 517 confirmed deaths, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. More than 96 percent of all cases and deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a new variant of the clade I virus, called clade Ib, was first discovered.

Clade Ib is believed to cause more severe disease than previous variants, and the World Health Organization has declared the situation in Africa an international health emergency.

Last week, the first case of Clade Ib mpox outside Africa was detected in Sweden. A suspected case has also been reported in Pakistan, but confirmatory tests are ongoing.

Thailand now joins the long list of countries where a possible case of this new variant has been confirmed.

No cases of the new Mpox variant have been identified in the United States so far, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have stated that the risk of Clade I Mpox infecting the American population is “very low.”

The CDC added that people in the U.S. who have had Mpox or are fully vaccinated should be protected against both types, Clade I and Clade II. You can also protect yourself by taking the following precautions:

• Avoid close contact with people who have Mpox symptoms such as skin lesions, especially in the genital area.
• Avoid contact with wild animals in areas where MPOX is regularly found (for example when traveling).
• Avoid contact with contaminated people and materials, such as bedding and clothing used by sick people.

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