Thailand Becomes First Asian Country to Record Deadly New Strain of Mpox

Thailand has confirmed Asia’s first known case of a new and more lethal strain of mpox, the country’s health authorities announced on Thursday.

The patient, a 66-year-old European, had recently traveled from Africa and was diagnosed with the Clade 1b strain of mpox after arriving in Bangkok on August 14.

The confirmation was made by Thailand’s Department of Disease Control, which revealed that the patient had been hospitalized shortly after exhibiting symptoms associated with mpox.

“Thailand’s Department of Disease Control wishes to confirm the lab test result which shows mpox Clade 1b in a European patient,” the department stated. The department also noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) would be informed of the development.

The patient’s case marks the first known instance of the Clade 1b strain in Asia, a strain which has been identified as deadlier and more transmissible than previous forms of the virus.

Clade 1b has driven recent surges in cases across Africa, particularly in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. Although about 2,863 confirmed cases and 517 deaths across 13 African countries have been reported in 2024 alone, Nigeria has recorded 51 new suspected cases with zero deaths, according to the latest data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The WHO has declared a global public health emergency due to the spread of this new variant and has called on vaccine manufacturers to accelerate production.

In response to the confirmed case, Thai health officials have taken precautionary measures by monitoring 43 individuals who had close contact with the patient.

“We have monitored 43 people who have been in close contact with the patient and so far they have shown no symptoms, but we must continue monitoring for a total of 21 days,” the Department of Disease Control emphasized.

Furthermore, travelers from 42 “risk countries” will now be required to register and undergo testing upon arrival in Thailand as part of the nation’s enhanced surveillance efforts.

The mpox virus, which has been known for decades, primarily spreads through close physical contact and is usually transmitted from infected animals to humans. The new Clade 1b variant, however, has raised significant concerns due to its higher mortality rate, with approximately 3.6 percent of cases resulting in death, particularly among children, according to the WHO.