Thirteen people have been isolated under observation for 21 days, after being identified as being at high risk, having had close physical contact with a 47-year-old Thai man, who has been confirmed as Thailand’s second monkeypox case, according to Dr. Opart Karnkawinpong, director-general of Thailand’s Disease Control Department.
He said that the patient is now being treated in an airborne infection isolation room (AIIR) at Vajira Hospital in Bangkok, adding that specimens collected from those at high risk have been sent for lab tests and the results are awaited.
The patient admitted to health officials that he had engaged in unsafe sex with a European man on July 12th and, three days later, developed a fever, followed by blisters emerging on his genitals.
He took medicine purchased from a pharmacy, but his condition worsened and he decided to see a doctor at Vajira Hospital on July 27th. Specimens were sent to the Department of Medical Sciences and the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Disease Health Science Centre for lab tests, which eventually confirmed the monkeypox infection, said Dr. Opart.
He advised people at “high risk’ to refrain from contact with other people and from having unsafe and unprotected sex with strangers.
The first monkeypox case in Thailand was a 27-year-old Nigerian, who is now being treated in Phnom Penh after he refused to receive treatment in Thailand last week.
The third suspected case, also a Thai man, was confirmed as being infected with common chicken pox.
