In Phuket, Thailand, a German visitor is found to have monkeypox

The 25-year-old German traveler flew into Thailand on July 18 to spend time in Phuket. Soon after visiting the kingdom, he began to show signs of monkeypox. The first person to test positive for monkeypox in Thailand this year was a 27-year-old Nigerian man from Phuket, and the second was a 47-year-old Thai man from Bangkok. Both are making a full recovery without using antiviral medication. In the case of an outbreak and the requirement for more vaccines, Thailand has smallpox vaccines that are 40 years old that were developed in 1979 and 1980 that can be used to immunize Thai people. The vaccines are still safe to use and 85% effective at preventing monkeypox, according to Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences.


At first, the person had a fever and swollen lymph nodes. After developing a rash on his genitalia that later expanded to the rest of his body, he visited a hospital in Phuket to have a PCR test performed to determine whether he was infected with the virus. Today, August 3, the fortunate outcome was confirmed. Monkeypox was detected in a German man in Phuket, making him the third instance of the virus to be reported in Thailand since the outbreak’s global start. The majority of monkeypox cases, assuming the patient has no other medical conditions, can be treated at home (home isolation), according to Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong, director general of the Department of Disease Control.

Thailand is importing 1000 doses of smallpox vaccination from the US, which is effective against the monkeypox virus. The vaccine should arrive by the end of the month. The Ministry of Public Health states that vaccines will be accessible to high-risk and vulnerable groups, including those in Thailand. Dr. Opas talked about the possibility of getting monkeypox in Thailand.

Three cases of monkeypox in males—two of whom were foreigners and one Thai—have already been reported, raising concerns about the disease spreading throughout Thailand. All three of the affected individuals interacted frequently with foreign men. The figures from Thailand are in line with those from the World Health Organization, which show that 98 percent of cases of monkeypox are caused by men who had previously engaged in intercourse with men. People who frequently interact with foreign guys are therefore at risk.