What’s Mpox Clade Ib, how does it spreads?
The Clade IIb variant, which was prevalent in the 2022 outbreak, mainly spread through sexual contact, particularly affecting men who have sex with men. Behavioral changes and vaccinations eventually curbed its spread. Epidemiologists note that Clade Ib appears to spread primarily through heterosexual sex, while another subtype, Clade Ia, transmits via household contact and exposure to affected animals, in addition to sexual contact. Young children have been found to be the most vulnerable to Clade Ia.
Wednesday saw Thai officials confirm that a 66-year-old European man who had been working in an African country experiencing an outbreak was infected. While the country was not specified, it was revealed that the man has a home in Thailand and did not exhibit severe symptoms. He had traveled from Africa, transiting in the Middle East, and arrived in Thailand on the evening of August 14. By the next morning, he started displaying a fever and small skin bumps.
Doctors advice public to take precautions
Dr. Thongchai Keeratihuttayakorn, general director of Thailand’s disease control department, advised the public to take specific precautions: “People should wash their hands with soap or alcohol gel sanitizer, avoid close contact with strangers, avoid going to places where there were outbreaks, and avoid rodents such as rats and squirrels from those places.”
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control is currently monitoring 43 individuals who had been near or in contact with the infected man. None have shown symptoms so far, but monitoring will continue for 21 days.
What Thailand is doing to control the mpox spread?
Thailand is increasing health control measures for travelers returning from regions with mpox outbreaks. These travelers must register with a Thai Health Pass and undergo a screening process.Measures include multiple checks for anyone with a temperature exceeding 36.8 Celsius (98.2 Fahrenheit). Health workers will also inspect for signs of a rash or skin bumps. Those presenting additional symptoms consistent with mpox will be isolated and tested. Travelers from high-risk countries are urged to report symptoms themselves.Authorities are preparing 60 rooms for quarantine purposes. Since 2022, Thailand has documented over 800 cases of the earlier Clade IIb version of mpox. Previously known as monkeypox, the virus can be transmitted through contact with infected animals or individuals, by consuming contaminated meat, through sexual contact, or via in utero transmission.Endemic to Central and Western Africa, mpox rapidly spread to over 70 countries in 2022, resulting in the WHO’s declaration of a global health emergency in July of that year. Since then, the virus has affected nearly 100,000 individuals across 116 countries.