A first case of the new, more deadly variant of the disease mpox has been detected in Thailand, the country reports.
This is the first known case of the variant in Asia.
The patient in question, a 66-year-old European man, is said to have landed in Bangkok on August 14 and was then sent to hospital with symptoms of mpox. Tests have now confirmed that he carries the variant of mpox that is currently spreading in Africa, called clade 1. The variant is believed to be both more contagious and more deadly than clade 2.
Last week, the first case of clade 1 was confirmed in Sweden.
The disease causes fever, muscle pain, and painful blisters and sores. The World Health Organization has classified the mpox outbreak as a global health emergency.
