Bangkok Post – Fears after outbreak in Africa

The Ministry of Public Health is on high alert as the World Health Organization (WHO) prepares to consider declaring a monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Public Health, said on Sunday that a WHO report on the monkeypox outbreak in Africa had found more patients there.

He said 15 countries have reported monkeypox cases this year. More than 90% of them are in the Democratic Republic of Congo and of these 70% are children, with a mortality rate of approximately 5%.

The countries with the most recent cases are Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda, which are located to the east of DR Congo, he said. The ministry is concerned as the number of monkeypox patients has increased significantly from last year, he added.

“In the past, it was prevalent among adults, but now there are rapidly increasing numbers of children after the discovery of the Clade Ib sub-strain, which is more easily transmitted from close contact with patients who have pustules or secretions containing the virus, or from having sex with patients who have the virus,” he said.

Dr Opas said the WHO recently held a meeting to consider whether to declare the new monkeypox outbreak a PHEIC so that resources can be appropriately mobilised to countries with severe outbreaks.

AFP reported the WHO will meet on Wednesday to decide whether to trigger its highest alert level over a monkeypox outbreak sweeping through several African countries.

As for Thailand, the Ministry of Public Health has assigned the Department of Disease Control to enhance screening measures at international communicable disease control checkpoints and hospitals, coordinating with Thais and foreigners travelling from countries with outbreaks to monitor and report symptoms to communicable disease control officers.

The monkeypox situation in Thailand from Jan 1, 2022, to May 28, 2024, resulted in 794 infections and 11 deaths.