Thailand's Department of Disease Control (DDC) confirmed on Wednesday that the country suspects it has its first case of a new more dangerous strain of mpox.

The patient is a European who recently traveled from Africa, health officials said, without naming their country of origin or where they had visited. They are currently quarantined in a Bangkok hospital.

Labratory tests are currently underway to determine if it the more dangerous variant known as Clade 1.

"We have done a test and they definitely have mpox and it's definitely not Clade 2," DDC chief Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn told French news agency AFP.

"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."

Cases surge in Africa

Mpox cases and fatalities have been surging in parts of central and eastern Africa. Since July, outbreaks have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

DR Congo has been hit particularly hard, with 16,000 cases and 500 deaths this year.

The World Health Organization has issued a global public health emergency warning, cautioning at the same time that this is not the same as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The disease is caused by a virus transmitted by infected animals. It passes from human to human through close physical contact, and causes fever, muscle aches, and skin lesions.

Although it has been known about for decades, a more contagious strain know as Clade 1b is thought to be behind the new surge in cases. It is fatal in about 3.6% of cases, especially in children.

es/rm (AFP, Reuters)