Thai health ministry sets up monkeypox monitoring centre

Thailand is creating a new emergency centre to monitor the spread of monkeypox, which has now been detected in at least 12 countries. The Bangkok Post reports that Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says Thai health officials are closely monitoring the outbreak, even if the virus has not yet been reported here.

According to Opas, following the recent easing of travel restrictions, Thailand now needs to be on alert, particularly when it comes to visitors from areas in Africa where monkeypox is endemic. To date, the virus has been reported in the US, Australia, and Canada, as well as in several European countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. To date, over 100 cases have been reported in Europe.

The DDC says humans can contract monkeypox through close contact with an infected person or animal. The virus can be found in a variety of rodents and in primates. Human-to-human transmission is limited, but can occur through body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials. However, scientists say this virus is unlikely to result in another pandemic.

The symptoms of monkeypox include a fever, rash, body aches, fatigue, headache, and swollen lymph nodes, and can last between 2 and 4 weeks. Current research shows that the fatality rate is about 10%, with deaths mostly occurring as a result of lung or brain inflammation and dehydration.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

 

Courtesy ofThaiger News

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