An outbreak of a dangerous disease was recorded in Thailand in June, which infects a certain group of tourists – men who have had intimate relations with other men and those who have a positive HIV status. We are talking about monkeypox, which for the past two years has kept travelers planning vacations in Western countries in fear.
According to the latest data presented by the Bangkok Post, cases of monkeypox infection in Thailand increased significantly in June 2023. Authorities reported 48 new cases, a 129% increase from May 2023, when doctors were officially aware of 21 cases.
Out of the total number of patients, 41 episodes were recorded in residents, and 7 – in foreign tourists, and the majority of incidents occurred in Bangkok. There were no reports of fatalities. All 48 people infected with smallpox were men who had sex with members of the same sex, and 22 of them were also diagnosed with HIV.
This prompted the Thai authorities to appeal to tourists and the public who practice “non-traditional relationships”, as well as other vacationers, about the need to take precautionary measures. According to the latest data, 92 cases of smallpox were reported in the kingdom last year.
We will remind you that last year there was an epidemic of monkeypox in many cities and resorts of the West. Outbreaks of the virus have been reported in 16 countries, including the US, Canada and Australia. However, health authorities have repeatedly assured vacationers that this disease is not only associated with homosexual and bisexual men, as individual cases of infection in women have been recorded. The 2022–2023 global epidemic is believed to have been caused by a strain known as hoard IIb.
Background: Monkeypox is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus family. Characteristic symptoms are rashes on the skin or damage to the mucous membranes, which can persist for 2-4 weeks, accompanied by fever, headache, muscle pain, back pain, weakness, and enlarged lymph nodes. It is known that the virus can be introduced into the body through physical contact with an infected person, infected objects or infected animals.