THAILAND: On Thursday, Thailand’s Department of Disease Control confirmed that a European traveler tested positive for the Clade 1b strain of mpox, a variant that has sparked international alarm due to its rapid transmission through routine close contact. This marks the first Clade 1b case diagnosed in Thailand, although the man is believed to have contracted the virus in an endemic African country before travelling to Thailand.
Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, emphasized that no local transmissions have been identified through contact tracing efforts. Before arriving in Thailand, the patient had transited through an unspecified Middle Eastern country.
This case comes shortly after Sweden reported a Clade 1b infection last week, signalling the variant’s spread beyond Africa. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak of this new mpox variant a public health emergency of international concern, further heightening global vigilance.
Read More
- Earthquake of magnitude 3.0 strikes Bangladesh
- Antonio Guterres warns UN faces “imminent financial collapse” amid unpaid dues, restrictive budget rules
- Japan and UK leaders agree to expand defence and security cooperation amid shifting global tensions
- Mine collapse kills over 200 in Congo as heavy rains trigger landslides
- UN faces “imminent financial collapse” as dues pile up: Guterres
While Thailand has recorded 800 cases of the less severe Clade 2 mpox strain since 2022, this is the country’s first instance of the more contagious Clade 1b variant.
For all the latest news from Oman and GCC, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.
