From a country once considered at "almost zero risk" of an mpox outbreak, as declared by a senior health official two years ago, Thailand is now facing an increasing threat after the Department of Disease Control (DDC) confirmed yesterday that a patient who travelled to the kingdom from Africa might be infected with the more serious Clade 1b strain of the disease.
This news comes just two days after Dr Yong Poovorawan, a virologist at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine, warned of the potential risk from this mutated strain, which is more aggressive than the Clade 2 strain previously found in the country.
Mpox has been causing global concern since the mutated subvariant was reported in Africa. Originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in central Africa, the viral disease has since led to outbreaks in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda since July.
The lack of vaccines in Africa has resulted in its rapid spread.
The typical symptoms of mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, include a skin rash, fever, sore throat, muscle aches, and low energy. Transmission mainly occurs through contact with body fluids, contaminated materials, or infected animals.
There are essentially two types of mpox: Clade 1b and Clade 2. In 2022, Thailand, like several other countries, including the United States, recorded two outbreak cases of Clade 2.
The other type, Clade 1, has largely been confined to the DR Congo, where several hundred deaths, mostly among children, have been reported.
The recent surge across larger parts of Africa prompted the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency on Aug 14. The next day, Sweden reported a case of the new strain, the first outside Africa. Interestingly, the infected person had not travelled anywhere.
More European countries are now on alert for the new variant.
As a top tourist destination, Thailand cannot afford complacency. The number of accumulated cases caused by the less severe Clade 2 strain, now around 100, and the emergence of a patient possibly infected with Clade 1b, sends a strong signal that the country needs immediate, coordinated action to contain the disease.
The DDC must ramp up surveillance and strengthen its defences with effective measures, such as a quarantine system and contact tracing.
An early plan for vaccination programmes, if necessary, should also be considered.
Clearly, the days of "almost zero risk," as mentioned in 2022 by then DDC director-general Opas Karnkawinpong in an effort to quell public fears of mpox outbreaks, are long gone.
At that time, Dr Opas said the disease was not highly contagious compared to Covid-19 and merely urged people to refrain from having sex with strangers.
Such a statement suggests that Dr Opas and his team underestimated the virus from the outset. Unfortunately, this led to sluggish action, including raising awareness of the disease and its associated risks.
Such awareness is crucial. The old adage "prevention is better than cure" applies to any health risk, and mpox is no exception.