Mpox virus latest: Thailand confirms case is dangerous new variant as Asian countries ramp up border controls

✕ Close

Support truly
independent journalism

Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.

Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.

Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.

Louise Thomas

Editor

Thailand has confirmed the first suspected case of the new clade 1b variant, prompting a swift action from regional health authorities.

Countries across Asia are ramping up their defenses against mpox following the detection of a potentially more dangerous variant.

The rapid spread of the new mpox strain in Africa led the World Health Organisation to declare a public health emergency last week.

A £3.1 million UK government package to tackle mpox will “ultimately benefit us all”, the Africa minister has said.

The UK is preparing for potential cases of the new strain of mpox after Europe recorded its first case of the more deadly variant last week in Sweden. 

Health officials said plans are under way to tackle a possible outbreak in the country ensuring healthcare workers are aware of the symptoms and that rapid tests are available.

But European health authorities have ruled out imposing border controls as the risk of a global virus outbreak is still considered “low”.

In Argentina, a cargo ship was quarantined over the first suspected case of mpox on the vessel, after one of its crew members showed “cyst-like skin lesions”, the health ministry said.

Key Points

• Asia ramps up border controls amid new variant concerns
• Thailand confirms mpox case is clade 1b strain
• UK pledges £3.1m for Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Cargo ship quarantined in Argentina over suspected case
• Airline pilots in countries hit by mpox urged to ‘familiarise’ with virus

Argentina rules out suspected case of mpox on cargo ship

Argentinian health officials said that mpox tests on a crew member on a quaranted cargo ship has come back negative.

The Indian national had reported cyst-like lesions on his chest and face and was working ont the ship traveling to port city of Rosario.

Before the tests, authorities had quarantined the ship in the Parana River as a precaution.

In a statement the health ministry said the patient tested negative for mpox but positive for chicken pox.

What is mpox, and why is this outbreak so concerning?

The number of cases this year has jumped dramatically, already exceeding last year’s figure.

Last week, the Africa CDC reported that mpox has now been detected in at least 13 African countries. Compared with the same period last year, the agency said cases are up 160 per cent and deaths have increased by 19 per cent.

Earlier this year, scientists reported the emergence of a new form of mpox in a Congolese mining town that can kill up to 10 per cent of people and may spread more easily.

Unlike in previous mpox outbreaks, where lesions were mostly seen on the chest, hands and feet, the new form of mpox causes milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals.

That makes it harder to spot, meaning people might also sicken others without knowing they’re infected.

During the global outbreak of mpox in 2022, gay and bisexual men made up a large majority of cases and the virus was mostly spread through close contact, including sex.

Pictured: Pakistan prepares hospitals for outbreak after mpox case detected

What is the difference between mpox Clade I and Clade II?

There are two distinct clades of the mpox virus: Clade I and Clade II. Clade II was responsible for the global outbreak that began in 2022. Clade I is considered more severe and is classified as a high consequence infectious disease.

According to the public health agency of Sweden, the individual contracted the virus during a stay in a part of Africa experiencing a major outbreak of clade I mpox.

Clade I is more likely to cause severe disease and higher mortality than clade IIb — the variant previously found in Sweden. Although the risk to the general population remains very low, the public health agency said the authorities are closely monitoring the situation.

China to monitor borders for mpox over next six months

China has said it will monitor people and goods entering the country for mpox over the next six months, following the declaration by the World Health Organisation that the virus is again a global health emergency.

Individuals from countries with mpox outbreaks who have had contact with cases or show symptoms are required to report to customs. Vehicles and goods from affected areas should be sanitised.

China classifies mpox as a Category B infectious disease, allowing for emergency measures during outbreaks.

The global health agency has released $1.45m from its emergency fund to assist “surveillance, preparedness and response activities” to contain the spread of virus, but would need up to $15m to ramp up the system effectively.

Pictured: Infected mpox patients in Burundi

Mpox vaccine maker Bavarian sees shares soar

Shares of Danish biotech Bavarian Nordic surged following robust earnings and a significant order of its mpox vaccine.

US firm Emergent BioSolutions saw its shares jump nearly 10 per cent yesterday.

The mpox outbreak, primarly affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo has prompted international concern with countries pilling up vaccines for a potential outbreak.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Africa CDC have both issued public health emergencies as the virus spreads to more than a dozen countries.

The WHO has reported over 17,000 cases and more than 500 deaths this year.

How worried should we be about mpox?

The first case of a new infectious strain of mpox has been detected in Europe after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared outbreaks in Africa a global emergency.

Experts said the new strain is “associated with a more severe disease and higher mortality rates” than the one that caused the global mpox outbreak in 2022.

The new strain of mpox is known as clade 1b and it emerged in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) last year, according to WHO.

The disease is now rapidly spreading to neighbouring countries in Africa, mainly through sexual networks, WHO said, with one case confirmed in Europe.

Mpox is passed on through close physical contact, including during sexual contact, kissing, cuddling or holding hands.

Symptoms include a high temperature, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen glands, exhaustion, joint pain and a rash.

Dr Jonas Albarnaz, a research fellow specialising in pox viruses at the Pirbright Institute, said the case of clade 1b in Sweden “is concerning for two main reasons”.

“First, this is the first clade 1 mpox virus case outside Africa. This indicates that the extent of the international spread of clade 1 outbreak in DRC might be larger than we knew yesterday.

“And second, clade 1 mpox virus is associated with a more severe disease and higher mortality rates than the clade 2 virus responsible for the international mpox outbreak in 2022.”

Thailand confirms mpox case is clade 1b strain

An mpox case reported in Thailand this week has been confirmed as being the clade 1b strain of the virus, the first in the country, a disease control official said.

“This man is likely infected from an endemic country,” Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, told Reuters, adding no other local infections had been detected through contact tracing.

Thailand on Wednesday said the case was a 66-year-old European man who had arrived from an African country where the disease was spreading.

Clade 1b has triggered global concern due to the ease with which it spreads.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.