Mpox continues to be a public health concern in Thailand, especially among men with close contact or sexual intercourse with strangers, the Department of Disease Control warned on Tuesday.
Dr Montien Kanasawad, director-general of the department, said outbreaks were still being seen among high-risk groups of people. Recent cases included the Clade 1b strain, which was under close surveillance as it is more transmissible that earlier strains.
Since the first case was confirmed in Phuket in July 2022, Thailand has recorded 1,074 mpox patients, with 16 fatalities, according to Dr Montien.
From April 26 to May 9, two cases of mpox Clade 1b were reported, both in Thai men. The first one fell sick on April 22, after having sex with a stranger earlier. The other man reportedly had close and extended physical contact with crowds of people in festive venues.
Dr Montien quoted an international health regulations coordinator as reporting that there have also been mpox cases among visitors to Thailand who had sex with strangers in entertainment venues. The patients were 25-40 years old and their common risky behaviours were close physical contact during sexual intercourse, he said.
The presence of Clade 1b is expanding, Dr Montien said. Since 2024, there have been 18 Clade 1b cases without any fatalities. So far this year, there have been six Clade 1b cases, four of them in men. Most were the result of close physical contact with others.
“New mpox cases are being recorded, especially among high-risk groups of people,” he said.
“The best prevention is to refrain from having close physical contact with those with symptoms, or sexual intercourse with strangers or those with blisters which indicate possible skin infection.”
