Virologist warns of monkeypox as tourists flood back to Thailand
Renowned virologist Yong Poovorawan said on Saturday that Thailand should be on alert for cases of monkeypox as the country will open fully to foreign arrivals from next month.
Authorities estimate at least 500,000 tourists will arrive each month between now and September.
Yong said that although no confirmed cases have been reported in East or Southeast Asia, Thailand must keep monitoring for monkeypox to prevent a potential outbreak.
Writing on Facebook, the doctor said it would be difficult to curb the spread of the disease if an outbreak occurs.
Since the first monkeypox case was detected outside Africa in early May, more than 2,000 infections have been confirmed, mostly in men aged between 20 and 50, said Yong.
Cases have been found in about 30 countries with the majority of infections reported in Europe and North America.
Countries that have registered more than 100 cases include the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal and Canada. However, no deaths have been reported outside Africa, where the disease is endemic in central and western areas of the continent.
Yong noted that the disease can be spread through close contact, but in most cases the symptoms are not life-threatening.
