After the stroke of midnight, the Bulgarian and Romanian interior ministers symbolically raised a barrier on the Friendship Bridge straddling the Danube River
world1 day ago
Thailand on Wednesday reported a suspected first case of the new more dangerous strain of mpox, which the World Health Organisation has declared a global public health emergency.
The patient landed in Bangkok on August 14 and was sent to hospital with mpox symptoms the following morning, said Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, head of the kingdom's Department of Disease Control.
Laboratory tests are under way to confirm the strain, but officials believe it to be from Clade 1.
The infected person, a 66-year-old European who travelled to Thailand from an African country, has been quarantined.
"We have done a test and they definitely have mpox and it's definitely not Clade 2," Thongchai said.
"We are convinced the person has the Clade 1 variant, but we have to wait to see the final result in the lab for two more days."
Health officials are monitoring 42 people who came into close contact with the patient, Thongchai told a news conference.
Mpox cases and deaths are surging in Africa, where outbreaks have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda since July.
The disease — caused by a virus transmitted by infected animals but passed from human to human through close physical contact — causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions.
While mpox has been known for decades, a new more deadly and more transmissible strain — known as Clade 1b — has driven the recent surge in cases.
Clade 1b causes death in about 3.6 per cent of cases, with children more at risk, according to the WHO.
Formerly called monkeypox, the virus was discovered in 1958 in Denmark in monkeys kept for research.
DR Congo has reported more than 16,000 cases and 500 deaths this year.
On August 15 Sweden reported the first confirmed Clade 1 case outside Africa.
After the stroke of midnight, the Bulgarian and Romanian interior ministers symbolically raised a barrier on the Friendship Bridge straddling the Danube River
world1 day ago
At least 76 deaths were recorded in about 20 accidents last year, making it the deadliest year for migrants who are taking ever greater risks to evade Britain's border control
world1 day ago
The revolutionary song
world1 day ago
Riyadh's air bridge will be followed by another land bridge in the coming days, says KSrelief's top official Abdullah Al Rabeeah
world1 day ago
Reporters Without Borders ranked Syria second-last on its 2024 World Press Freedom Index, ahead only of Eritrea and behind Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
world1 day ago
The world welcomed the New Year with celebrations and festivities, while we witnessed 2025 begin with the first Israeli massacre in the town of Jabalia just after midnight, says Gaza official
world1 day ago
With time zones spanning the globe, 2025 arrived at different times in various countries, creating a staggered celebration around the world
world2 days ago
Humanitarian agencies repeatedly warn that not enough aid was reaching Palestinians in need due in part to looting as well as Israeli restrictions
world2 days ago