Thailand has detected an mpox case in a 66-year-old European man who arrived from Africa. The man is currently quarantined in a hospital while his strain is being tested. Although officials suspect it may be the more contagious Clade 1 variant, they are awaiting confirmation. So far, Thailand has only seen the Clade 2 variant since 2022.
The World Health Organization has declared mpox a global health emergency, but noted that it is not another COVID-19. The virus causes fever, body aches, and skin lesions, with the newer Clade 1b variant being more deadly and transmissible.
In Africa, the International Organization for Migration is appealing for $18.5m to provide healthcare for those affected by mpox. In Argentina, a cargo ship in the Parana River has been quarantined due to a suspected case of mpox on board, involving an Indian crew member. Meanwhile, the Philippines has detected a case of the milder Clade 2 variant of mpox.
The virus was first discovered in monkeys in 1958 in Denmark and has since caused outbreaks in several African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. As of this year, DRC alone has reported over 16,000 cases and 500 deaths.
Health authorities are working to control the spread of the virus globally and protect those at the highest risk, with a particular focus on the more dangerous Clade 1b variant that has caused an increase in cases.
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