KOTA BARU: Health officers stationed at the three Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) complexes have been told to monitor travellers entering the state from 'risk countries'.
State health director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin said this was a precaution against monkeypox (mpox), which was detected in Thailand recently.
"The state health department is aware about one mpox case reported in Thailand involving a traveller from Africa.
"Following this, health officers are told to monitor travellers, especially those from 'risk countries' who have entered Malaysia via Kelantan's entry points."
It was reported yesterday that Thailand confirmed Asia's first known case of a new, deadlier strain of mpox in a patient who had travelled to the kingdom from Africa.(https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2024/08/1095327/thailand-confirms-asi...)
The patient landed in Bangkok on Aug 14 and was sent to hospital with mpox symptoms.
The Department of Disease Control said laboratory tests on the 66-year-old European confirmed he was infected with mpox Clade 1b.
The department said in a statement that the World Health Organisation (WHO) would be informed of the development.
The department has also monitored 43 people who were in close contact with the patient, and so far, none have displayed symptoms.
Anyone travelling to Thailand from 42 'risk countries' must register and undergo testing on arrival, the department said.
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 last month.
The WHO declared a global public health emergency over the new variant of mpox, urging manufacturers to ramp up production of vaccines.
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.