Thailand has detected first suspected case of new Mpox strain today. Thailand and Sweden are the first countries of outside of Africa to detect Mpox cases of the Clade 1b variant. The Department of Disease Control found a patient with suspected clade 1 smallpox. However, a case of mpox in Pakistan was also announced last week but it was not the new Clade 1 strain spreading through Africa. According to Pakistan health officials, the virus has been classified as Clade 2b strain.

The health authorities found that the patient has a travel history to Congo. Initial Laboratory tests are yet to confirm the strain, but officials believe it to be from Clade 1. The infected person has been quarantined in hospital.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Mpox Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 14th of August in view of its prevalence and spread across many parts of Africa. According to WHO, globally since 2022 from 116 countries, more than 99 thousand cases and 208 deaths have been reported due to Mpox.