Mpox reaches Thailand; deadly Clade 1b variant found in 6 nations: Updates

Mpox infection updates: There are two viral strains of mpox: Clade 1b and Clade 2. The Clade 1b variant of the mpox infection is more deadly and is responsible for more than 500 deaths in Congo

Mpox infection updates: Thailand has become the latest country to report the viral deadly mpox (monkeypox) case in a European man who arrived from Africa last week. Officials are awaiting test results to determine the strain, they said on Wednesday.

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the viral infection a global public health emergency. Since then, mpox cases have been reported in a number of nations.

There are two prominent strains of mpox infection: Clade 1b and Clade 2 variants. The Clade 1b variant of the mpox infection is more deadly and is responsible for more than 500 deaths in the central African nation Congo.

Philippines suspects local transmission

Philippine officials on Wednesday said that their reported case is of the mild Clade 2 variant. However, the 33-year-old patient has no recent travel history, indicating possible local transmission.

“It’s not as alarming as the Clade 1b,” Philippines Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa told AFP, noting that Clade 2 is an old variant.

The Philippines reported its last mpox case in December 2023. There was a mpox outbreak around the world in 2022 as well. However, the new variant is turning out to be of greater concern with a fatality rate of 3.5 per cent, data from Congo showed. Its spread is also a matter of huge concern because there is little known about it till now.

Which countries have reported deadly mpox cases?

The new variant is also harder to detect as it is targeting genitals instead of hands or chest like in earlier cases, scientists had earlier said. The earlier strain was spreading mainly through sexual contact, mostly targeting gay and bisexual people. However, the new variant is also spreading rapidly through close contact and contaminated objects.

The more fatal Clade 1b strain of mpox has also been reported in Pakistan, Sweden, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. Pakistan has reported four cases till now.

Given the situation, India is on high alert with stringent surveillance measures in place. The Health Ministry is closely monitoring developments, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also actively overseeing the preparations, officials said. Indian airports and borders are also under strict watch to prevent the spread of the new wave of mpox into the country.