Thailand confirms first case of new MPOX virus variant

Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has confirmed the country’s first case of the new smallpox virus strain 1B. The patient, a 66-year-old man, had recently traveled to Africa, where the variant is endemic, the ministry said in a statement. He returned to Thailand on August 14 and the following day developed a fever and other symptoms consistent with smallpox and was admitted for treatment.

The health surveillance team counted 43 people who had close contact with the patient, including people who had also been to Africa, and advised them to watch for symptoms such as fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes in the next 21 days. If any signs of illness appear, the Thai ministry’s recommendation is to seek medical attention.

In the statement, the ministry highlighted that at least six African countries have recorded smallpox outbreaks, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya and Ivory Coast. The Thai government stressed that “passengers who have visited these countries will have their body temperature measured and will be asked about symptoms observed, especially rashes.”

According to the memo, travelers with symptoms consistent with smallpox will be isolated and quarantined. Health authorities will then collect samples to confirm or rule out cases, as well as conduct additional physical examinations. Since 2022, Thailand has confirmed 827 cases of smallpox, including 140 in 2024 — all of which, so far, have been of the old type.

Sweden

Before Thailand, a case of the new variant 1b was already confirmed last Thursday (15), one day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the smallpox scenario in Africa a public health emergency of international concern – the entity’s highest alert level.

The variant was first detected in Sweden outside Africa. Swedish health authorities said at the time that the patient had also been infected while traveling through Africa and was still undergoing treatment.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, considered that the confirmation of the new strain in Sweden reinforces the need for all countries affected by the disease to combat the virus together.

“We encourage all countries to expand surveillance, share data, work to better understand transmission, share tools such as vaccines, and apply lessons learned in previous public health emergencies of international concern,” he wrote on his social media profile.