![Dr Yong Poovorawan has warned that mpox poses serious threat to the Thai people. (Photo: The Nation)](https://imagev3-lang.vietnamplus.vn/w1000/Uploaded/2024/kg1/2024_08_19/mpox-9427.jpg.webp)
Bangkok (VNA) - Dr Yong Poovorawan, a clinical virologist at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine, said in a recent Facebook post that mpox's Clade 1b subvariant, which can be transmitted via respiratory droplets, poses a particular risk.
He warned the Thai people to be on their guard regarding the new mpox strain that has spread in Central and East Africa.
According to him, Clade 1b was detected in both children and adults, men and women, in the central African country, with most fatalities reported among children.
He said Clade 1 is transmitted via close physical contact and respiratory droplets, making it easier to spread than Clade 2, which transmits through close physical contact.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently declared a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC) after many mpox cases were found in several African countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
At least 450 people died during an initial outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo./.