Thailand’s Second Monkeypox Case Found In Bangkok

(CTN News) – According to the Medical Sciences Department, Thailand’s second monkeypox case has been confirmed today.

Officials have been trying to locate the 47-year-old Thai man’s recent contacts in order to screen and isolate him at Bangkok’s Vajira Hospital.

In two days, the man developed a fever, muscle pain, and swollen lymph nodes after falling ill on July 12th. He developed rashes on his genitals, face, hands, and body a week later. After that, he was hospitalized at Vajira Hospital.

Today, his specimens were sent to the Medical Sciences Department for lab testing, which confirmed a positive result.

Dr. Opart Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Disease Control Department, said investigators from the department have identified 10 contacts, who share a house with the patient, and have sent their specimens for testing.

Officials are trying to trace more of the infected man’s contacts after asking all ten people to isolate and monitor their health for 21 days.

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

The first monkeypox case in Thailand was a 27-year-old Nigerian man who visited Phuket in October and spent much of his time there, frequenting several night spots and having sex with several women.

Although he was confirmed as infected with the monkeypox virus last week, he refused treatment in Phuket and crossed the border into Cambodia, only to be found and hospitalized by Cambodian officials.

In Phuket, 19 people have been identified as his contacts, but none of them have been infected.

The director of Vajira Phuket Hospital, Dr. Weerasak Lawtongkum, announced today that a lab test carried out at Chulalongkorn University has confirmed that the 40-year-old Thai man with monkeypox actually has chickenpox.

Today, the patient was discharged from the hospital to be treated at home.

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