Thailand has reported the detection of a new variant of the monkeypox virus, known as Clade Ib, in a European male who recently traveled from Africa to Bangkok. This discovery has prompted health authorities to monitor and surveil 43 individuals who had close contact with the patient to contain the spread of the infection.
In response to the global public health emergency declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the monkeypox outbreak, cases of the viral infection have been confirmed in multiple nations. Clade Ib, identified as a new offshoot of the Clade I virus, was first documented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2023, spreading through close contact among individuals.
The unique characteristic of the Clade Ib strain is its ability to target the genitals rather than the hands or chest, as seen in previous cases of the monkeypox virus. This change in symptom presentation has made the new variant more challenging to detect, posing additional complexities for healthcare professionals in identifying and treating individuals infected with this mutated strain.