Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced today (Thursday) the confirmation, by the Medical Sciences Department, of Thailand’s second monkeypox case.

He said that the patient, a 47-year-old Thai man, has been admitted to Bangkok’s Vajira Hospital for treatment and officials have been trying to trace his recent contacts for screening and isolation.

The man fell ill on July 12th and, two days later, had developed a fever, muscle pain and swollen lymph nodes. A week after that, rashes appeared on his genitals, face, hands and body. Then he went to Vajira Hospital for a check-up and was hospitalised.

His specimens were sent for lab tests at the Medical Sciences Department, which confirmed a positive result today.

Meanwhile, Dr. Opart Karnkawinpong, director-general of theDisease Control Department, said that investigators from the department have identified 10 contacts, who share a house with the patient, adding that their specimens have been sent for lab tests.

He said that all ten people have been asked to isolate and monitor their condition for 21 days, adding that officials are trying to trace more of the infected man’s contacts.

According to health officials, the patient has had a sexual relationship with foreign male.

Thailand’s first monkeypox case was a 27-year-old Nigerian man, who arrived in Phuket in last October and spent most of his time there, during which he frequented several night spots and had sex with several women. Last week he was confirmed as infected with the monkeypox virus, but he refused treatment in Phuket and went to Cambodia via a natural border crossing, but was located by Cambodian officials and hospitalised.

Nineteen people in Phuket have been identified as his contacts, but they were found to be free of the virus.

Meanwhile, Vajira Phuket Hospital director, Dr. Weerasak Lawtongkum, disclosed today that the 40-year-old Thai man who was suspected of being infected with monkeypox has been confirmed, by lab test from the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University, to be suffering from chickenpox.

He said that the patient was discharged from the hospital today to be treated at home.