Thailand confirms first monkeypox infection on day WHO meets to decide global health emergency
- A 27-year-old Nigerian national who has a history of travelling from Africa, said he had been ill for about a week
- WHO experts will meet to decide whether a surge in infections outside Africa since May now constitutes a global health emergency
Thailand’s health ministry on Thursday confirmed the country’s first monkeypox infection in a 27-year-old Nigerian national in the southern island of Phuket.
The man, who had a history of travelling from Nigeria, said he had been ill for about a week, according to senior health official Opas Karnkawinpong.
Around 65 countries in which monkeypox is not endemic have reported outbreaks of the viral disease as confirmed cases cross 15,100.
Monkeypox, which spreads through close contact and was first found in monkeys, mostly occurs in west and central Africa and only occasionally spreads elsewhere.
In May, a flurry of cases was detected in countries outside Africa, in people with no travel links to the region. Most of those affected are gay men and Europe is the epicentre of the new outbreak.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Australia had confirmed 41 cases by July 19, while New Zealand reported its second case on July 12. Singapore had confirmed six cases as of July 14 – the same day India reported its first case, while Taiwan had confirmed its first case on June 2 and South Korea reported two cases on June 22.