Mpox ALERT: What We Know Of Asia's First Case Of Clade 1b Strain

Bangkok: Thailand has confirmed Asia's first case of a new, more dangerous strain of mpox, on Thursday, as per officials.

The patient, a 66-year-old European, tested positive for this new strain after arriving in Bangkok on August 14.  

Prior to arriving in Thailand, the patient had traveled from Africa to the United Kingdom. The Department of Disease Control reported that lab tests have identified the infection as mpox Clade 1b.  

"Thailand's Department of Disease Control wishes to confirm the lab test result which shows mpox Clade 1b in a European patient," said the department in an official statement.

"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 added.

No M-pox case has been registered in India as of now, but as a precautionary measure, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences has issued a protocol advisory for handling suspected cases.  

The newer strain, with a fatality rate of 3%, has been spreading across several African countries and is reported to have killed more than 500 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Children and adolescents are also getting sick, with known fatal cases exceeding 60% among patients under the age of 5. 

Singapore Alert on Mpox

 The government in Singapore is on alert and is closely monitoring any potential cases of mpox in the country by screening the incoming passengers of possible symptoms.

The Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Transport and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said they will enhance Singapore’s surveillance capabilities against the infectious disease at the borders.

Temperature and visual screening will be carried out at Changi and Seletar airports from Friday onwards as a precautionary measure against mpox, after one confirmed case of a potentially more serious variant each was reported in Sweden and Thailand.

The scare around mpox continues to increase amid rising cases in multiple countries including Africa, Thailand and Sweden.