Thailand verifies mpox case as clade 1b, marking the second occurrence outside Africa
Thailand has confirmed a case of mpox classified as clade 1b, marking it as the second case reported outside of Africa.
TroibNews 
On August 22, Thailand reported a case of the mpox clade 1b strain, marking it as the country's first diagnosed case of this variant and only the second instance of clade 1b being confirmed outside of Africa.
The patient, a 66-year-old man from Europe, had traveled from a country in Africa where the disease is prevalent. "The test results confirm that he is infected with the clade 1b strain of monkeypox, which is the first case diagnosed in Thailand, but this man is likely infected from an endemic country," stated Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, according to Reuters.
Further, Thongchai noted that no additional cases have been linked locally through contact tracing efforts.
The spread of clade 1b is a major international concern due to its potential for transmission through close contact. Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for Europe, expressed concerns on August 20 about transmission risks, especially from individuals in the acute phase showing specific symptoms like blisters in the mouth.
Previously, another clade 1b case was identified in Sweden last week, associated with the ongoing outbreak in Africa, marking its first spread outside the continent.
While Thailand has recorded 800 cases of the mpox clade 2 variant since 2022, this is the first incidence of the more severe clade 1 or 1b variants.
Following the identification of the new variant, WHO has elevated the recent spate of the disease to a public health emergency of international concern.
According to a report by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on August 22, the mpox outbreak is intensifying in Eastern and Southern Africa, with more than 200 cases confirmed in countries including Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa. This outbreak is particularly affecting children and vulnerable groups in these regions.
(With input from Reuters)
Ian Smith for TROIB News
The patient, a 66-year-old man from Europe, had traveled from a country in Africa where the disease is prevalent. "The test results confirm that he is infected with the clade 1b strain of monkeypox, which is the first case diagnosed in Thailand, but this man is likely infected from an endemic country," stated Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, according to Reuters.
Further, Thongchai noted that no additional cases have been linked locally through contact tracing efforts.
The spread of clade 1b is a major international concern due to its potential for transmission through close contact. Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for Europe, expressed concerns on August 20 about transmission risks, especially from individuals in the acute phase showing specific symptoms like blisters in the mouth.
Previously, another clade 1b case was identified in Sweden last week, associated with the ongoing outbreak in Africa, marking its first spread outside the continent.
While Thailand has recorded 800 cases of the mpox clade 2 variant since 2022, this is the first incidence of the more severe clade 1 or 1b variants.
Following the identification of the new variant, WHO has elevated the recent spate of the disease to a public health emergency of international concern.
According to a report by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on August 22, the mpox outbreak is intensifying in Eastern and Southern Africa, with more than 200 cases confirmed in countries including Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa. This outbreak is particularly affecting children and vulnerable groups in these regions.
(With input from Reuters)
Ian Smith for TROIB News
