BANGKOK: Thailand has registered its first case of monkeypox, and the infection was diagnosed in a 27-year-old Nigerian man who traveled to Phuket from Nigeria, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) reported Thursday evening (July 21).
dr Opas Karnkawinpong, DDC director-general, said a joint investigation team was sent to a private hospital in Phuket on Monday (July 18) after the hospital suspected one of its patients had monkeypox symptoms, the reports Bangkok Post**
Last week the patient was hospitalized with a fever, cough, sore throat and runny nose. He also had rashes and lesions on his genital area that had spread to other parts of his body and face.
A PCR lab test from the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Clinical Center revealed the man had monkeypox on Tuesday. It was later confirmed by DDC lab tests that he had the virus.
dr Opas said provincial disease control officials have been instructed to monitor and identify other potential cases in the province to stem the spread.
The National Disease Control Committee concluded on Thursday that this was Thailand’s first case of monkeypox.
The DDC chief urged people not to panic as the World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet declared monkeypox a global emergency because the symptoms are not severe.
On Thursday, WHO experts met to decide whether a spike in infections outside of Africa since May now constitutes a global health emergency.
According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 15,000 cases of monkeypox worldwide, with five deaths reported in Africa report.
** To date, Phuket officials have not publicly confirmed any monkeypox infections on the island.
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