Thailand has reported its first case of Monkeypox, in an air passenger travelling from Europe who stopped over at an international airport in Bangkok for about two hours prior to transiting onto a flight to Australia.
Health officials are now monitoring the condition of 12 people who were in close contact with the traveller who developed symptoms in Australia, where the diagnosis was made.
The 12 crew members and passengers on the same flight, who were in close contact with the infected traveller, have now been quarantined in Thailand for seven days.
Lab tests on five tourists in Phuket, including three brothers from Ireland, who were initially thought to be infected with monkeypox after they developed blisters, show that they were infected with herpes, said Dr. Chakkarat, not monkeypox.
The World Health Organisation said in its latest update, issued on Sunday, that it had received reports of 257 confirmed monkeypox cases and about 120 suspected cases in 23 nations where the virus is not endemic, as of Thursday.
Dr. Chakkarat said that suspected cases will be subjected to tests, background risk checks, disease investigation, treatment and quarantine until it is proved that they are clear of the disease.
