No cases of monkeypox in Thailand

There are no known cases of monkeypox in Thailand, Dr Yong Poovorawan, head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University, said yesterday.

He made the assertion to allay fears over the possible spread of the rare disease in this country, following reports of confirmed and suspected cases in the UK, Canada, Spain and Portugal this week. Monkeypox is not a new disease and there is a vaccine for it, said Dr Yong.

Unlike the transmission of smallpox, which is airborne through droplets, monkeypox is transmitted when a person comes into contact with the virus through contaminated body fluids or wounds, he said.

However, since the monkeypox virus is carried by rodents, and infected patients in other countries usually had a history of having been in direct contact with strange animals, the doctor said he has advised against allowing exotic pets from overseas into the country. No monkeypox virus has been detected in local monkeys in Thailand before, he said.

The best way to protect oneself from monkeypox is almost the same as preventing the spread of Covid-19, the doctor said, adding that handwashing and personal hygiene were necessary.

Anan Jongkaewwattana, a virologist with National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec), meanwhile, said a new challenge now facing virologists around the world is that infected people can spread it while not showing any symptoms.

That explained why the recent detection of seven cases in the UK has sparked concerns in other parts of the world, he said.

Canada is investigating more than a dozen suspected cases, Spain has logged 23 suspected cases and Portugal has confirmed five cases, according to reports.

Health authorities in Canada’s Quebec province are investigating more than a dozen suspected cases of monkeypox, a rare but potentially serious virus, public broadcaster CBC reported on Wednesday.

The United States on Wednesday also confirmed a case of monkeypox in a man who had recently travelled to Canada, after European health officials confirmed dozens of cases earlier this week.

The illness often starts with flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle ache and swollen lymph nodes before causing a chicken pox-like rash on the face and body, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Public health authorities in the Quebec city of Montreal are investigating at least 13 cases, the public broadcaster reported, adding they were flagged after diagnoses were made in several clinics specializing in sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections.

Confirmation is expected in the coming days, the CBC said.

In the neighbouring United States, Massachusetts health authorities and the CDC confirmed the country’s first case this year on Wednesday.

“The case poses no risk to the public, and the individual is hospitalised and in good condition,” the Massachusetts Department of Health said in a statement.

The disease can spread by contact with the bodily fluids or sores of an infected person or “shared items [such as clothing and bedding] that have been contaminated”, according to the CDC, adding that household disinfectants can kill the virus.

Many of the reported cases, including clusters detected over the past two weeks in Portugal, Spain and Britain — where monkeypox is uncommon — “are occurring within sexual networks,” said Inger Damon, a poxvirus expert with the CDC, in an agency statement.

Several of the European cases have been detected in men who have sex with men, though the CDC underscored that “anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, can spread monkeypox”.

Since May 6, nine cases of monkeypox have been detected in the United Kingdom, the UK Health Security Agency said on Wednesday. Spain and Portugal also said on Wednesday that they had identified more than 40 suspected or confirmed cases.