Monkeypox  or Mpox strain clade 1B is spreading again in many countries because it is more easily transmitted than before. What is the situation in Thailand? Let’s check the latest information.

Monkeypox , officially known as Mpox , has regained attention in August 2024 after news of its rapid spread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its spread to many parts of Africa. It was found that the virus that is spreading this time is the Clade 1B strain ( CladeIB or Clade 1B), which spreads more easily and faster than the strain that was spreading last year. It has also been reported that it has spread to countries that have never reported patients before. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Mpox strain a Public Health Emergency of International Concern for the second time in two years in order to monitor and prevent the spread of monkeypox to other continents. 

          Today, we would like to invite you to learn about the Clade 1B strain of monkeypox, as well as monitor the situation in Thailand to see if there is a risk of a new outbreak like in Africa.

What causes monkeypox?

          Monkeypox is an infectious disease caused by a virus, which is in the same ยูฟ่าเบท https://ufabet999.app group as the smallpox virus. It can be transmitted from animals to humans. Rodents such as rats, squirrels, and rabbits are the carriers of the disease. It can also be transmitted from person to person. This disease is common in many areas of Central and West Africa before spreading to other countries. It is divided into 2 main strains:

• The Central African strain, or Clade 1, is more virulent and has a higher mortality rate, averaging around 10%.
• The West African strain, or Clade 2, is divided into Clade 2A and Clade 2B. This strain is less virulent and has a lower fatality rate of approximately 1%. It is mainly transmitted through sexual contact, especially among men who have sex with men.  

What is monkeypox Clade 1B?

For monkeypox, Clade 1B is a sub-strain that was adapted from the Central African strain (Clade 1). Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wasan Chantrathit, Head of the Medical Genome Center, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, provided information that although the Clade 1B strain has a mortality rate of 1%, which is lower than Clade 1, it is more transmissible than in 2022 when the Clade 2B strain was spread. This can be seen from the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where approximately 18,000 people were infected with Clade 1B, more than 500 of whom died, 70% of whom were children. This indicates that it is easier to get infected through coughing and sneezing.

          Furthermore, data from Africa found that if you stay in the same house as a Clade 1B monkeypox patient for about 4 hours, you are at risk of getting infected through contact with secretions, rubbing your eyes, coughing, and sneezing. It is not necessary to be transmitted through sexual contact like the original strain. However, it is currently not an airborne infection that spreads through the air.

How is monkeypox Clade 1B 
transmitted?

          According to current information, monkeypox Clade 1B can be transmitted as follows:

• Contact with patient’s secretions, contact with patient’s personal items 
• Contact with a patient with a rash, blisters, pustules, or wounds
• Respiratory droplets such as coughing and sneezing
• Having Sex
• Transmitted from mother to fetus
• Contact with animals infected with monkeypox

What are the symptoms of monkeypox Clade 1B  ?

Monkeypox has an incubation period of 5 to 21 days, so if you have traveled to Africa or countries with news of an outbreak, try to monitor your symptoms as follows:  

• Have a fever 
• Some people have a sore throat, cough, and flu-like symptoms.
• tired
• Headache 
• Muscle aches, back pain
• Swollen lymph nodes behind the ears, neck, and groin
• A rash, blisters, or pustules develop on the skin around the hands, feet, chest, face, mouth, or other parts of the body, which then develop into crusty blisters.

The latest monkeypox situation in Thailand

 In Thailand, no outbreak of the clade 1 strain has ever been found. Of the strains that have been prevalent since 2022 until August 10, 2024, only the clade 2 strain is less virulent. From the decoding of the whole genome, there are 8 sub-strains of clade 2 strains: A.2, A.2.1, B.1, B.1.12, B.1.3, B.1.7, C.1, and C.1.1. 

          Dr. Yongyos Thamvuthi, Director-General of the Department of Medical Sciences, stated that the most common strain in Thailand is the C.1 sub-strain, accounting for 85.34%, which is different from the A.2 sub-strain in the early stages of the outbreak, indicating the continuous evolution of the virus with the accumulation of mutations to adapt all the time. However, the C.1 sub-strain is considered less virulent than other strains, with a mild transmission rate and a mortality rate of less than 1% in people with normal immunity. Meanwhile, the 

          Ministry of Public Health reported that from January to August 10, 2024, there were monkeypox patients. Clade 2 strain, 140 people, 3 deaths, all of whom were HIV-infected. However, Thailand has been monitoring both strains of monkeypox and closely monitoring the outbreak situation in Central African countries. By increasing measures and strictly screening health for travelers from the outbreak areas. However

          , on August 21, 2024, the Department of Disease Control announced a press conference that a European patient who traveled from Africa into Thailand was suspected of having Clade 1B monkeypox. However, a strain test will be conducted to confirm the exact strain. If it is true, it will be the first Clade 1B patient found in Thailand.

Monkeypox: What is the treatment?

          Treatment for monkeypox depends on the patient’s symptoms. 

• Patients with mild, non-severe symptoms will receive symptomatic treatment for approximately 21 days or until the rash and bumps have scabbed over and fallen off. They may be hospitalized or isolated at home. Most will recover on their own within 2-4 weeks.
   
• Patients who are at risk of severe disease or have complications will be monitored and treated in the hospital. Doctors will prescribe the drug Tecovirimat to reduce the severity of the disease or reduce complications that may be fatal.

How to prevent monkeypox 

• Avoid crowded or crowded places.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap or alcohol gel.
• Avoid close contact with people with suspected monkeypox rash.
• Do not share personal items with the patient, such as clothing, towels, or bedding.
• Avoid having sex with strangers.
• Avoid contact with animals that may carry the virus, such as rats, monkeys, squirrels, and rabbits, especially in areas where monkeypox is prevalent. 
• Do not mingle with or touch blisters, pus, or wounds of infected animals or wild animal carcasses. 
• Consume cooked meat 
• Avoid traveling to places where monkeypox may be a risk. However, if it cannot be avoided, you should strictly protect yourself.
• If you need to travel to Africa or other high-risk areas, you can get a monkeypox vaccine, which can prevent severe disease by 68-80%.