Thai health officials have detected a suspected case of mpox in a European visitor who recently arrived from Africa.

The 66-year-old patient, who transited through a Middle Eastern country, has been quarantined in a hospital while awaiting test results to confirm the strain.

The authorities are treating the case as if it were the Clade 1 variant, a more transmissible strain that has caused global concern. Thailand has previously detected 800 cases of the less contagious Clade 2 variant but has not found any Clade 1 or 1b cases so far.

While the World Health Organization has declared mpox a global public health emergency, it has emphasized that the outbreak is not comparable to COVID-19. The viral infection, characterized by fever, muscle aches, and skin lesions, has seen a recent surge in cases due to the emergence of the Clade 1b strain.

Outbreaks have been reported in several African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. The United Nations International Organization for Migration has appealed for $18.5 million in assistance to provide healthcare to those affected in Africa.

Meanwhile, in Argentina, a cargo ship has been quarantined due to a suspected mpox case on board. The crew member, an Indian national, has been isolated after presenting with skin lesions.

In the Philippines, a recently detected mpox case has been confirmed to be of the milder Clade 2 variant. The Clade 1b strain, which poses a higher risk of death, particularly for children, has been responsible for a significant increase in cases. (ILKHA)