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Ampox virus reaches Thailand, Clade 1B strain now infects six countries; Know the symptoms to prevent the virus
Monkeypox outbreak: Thailand says it has detected a new case of monkeypox in a European man who arrived from Africa last week and is awaiting test results to determine the strain, a disease control official said. Another case has been detected in the Philippines in a local man with no travel history, suggesting local transmission of the milder subtype Clade 2. Worldwide, health officials are working against time to contain a deadly outbreak of monkeypox – the Clade 1b variant that is causing the maximum deaths. Read on to know some symptoms you should report immediately.
The Clade 1B variant is more lethal and is responsible for more deaths with a mortality rate of 3.5 percent
Outbreak of Ampox virus: Thailand is the latest country to report a case of the deadly viral ampox in a European man who arrived from Africa last week. According to health ministry officials, his tests are awaited to ascertain the strain.
Last week, the World Health Organization, or WHO, declared the viral infection a global public health emergency. Since then, cases of ampox have been reported in several countries. More than 500 people have died so far due to the infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the disease was first reported.
There are two major strains of ampox – the Clade 1b and Clade 2 variants. Data from Congo has shown that the Clade 1b variant is more lethal and responsible for more deaths with a mortality rate of 3.5 percent. Its spread is also a matter of great concern as very little is known about it so far.
Clade 2 variant case in the Philippines
According to Philippine officials, a mild case of the Clade 2 variant has been detected in a 33-year-old local man with no recent travel history, indicating the possibility of local transmission.
Signs and symptoms of ampox
According to experts, some people infected with ampox have less severe symptoms, while others may develop more severe illness and require hospital care. Most infections last two to four weeks and resolve on their own, but some cases can be serious, especially if you have the clade 1B strain.
Doctors recommend going to the hospital immediately if you have a rash with blisters, anal pain, or bleeding from the buttocks, and any of the following symptoms:
- have had close contact, including sexual contact, with someone who has or may have ampox in the past 3 weeks
- have had one or more new sexual partners in the past 3 weeks
- have traveled to West or Central Africa in the past three weeks
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, can cause a variety of signs and symptoms, including:
rash
A rash like rash, sores or blisters may appear on the face, inside the mouth and other parts of the body such as hands, feet, chest, genitals or anus. According to doctors, the itchy rash can last for 2-4 weeks and go through different stages before healing completely.
flu-like symptoms
Doctors say that Ampox also has flu-like symptoms such as high fever, muscle pain, sore throat, fever, chills and body ache.
Other symptoms
Some other symptoms like persistent and severe headache, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, back pain, difficulty in swallowing, eyelid swelling, low energy, joint pain and swollen glands can also be caused by ampox.
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