Resort countries, one after another, declare the development of methods of protection against the entry into the country of a new disease “famous” in the media, namely monkeypox. Following Turkey, Thailand announced the establishment of a special emergency center to monitor the spread of monkeypox. At the same time, the Thai Ministry of Health transparently hinted that special measures await such an “industry” as sex tourism, since one of the ways the virus is transmitted is through sexual contact.
The country recalled that the disease has now been detected in at least 12 countries, although at this stage in very small numbers. As Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong, a virologist and director general of the Department of Disease Control at the health ministry, told local media, the agency is “monitoring the outbreak, even if the virus hasn't been reported here yet.” The Thai government has instructed the Ministry of Health to set up a Public Health Crisis Management Center as a precautionary measure and said it will monitor travelers from risk countries, the expert added.
The doctor also named what officials will pay attention to – first of all, from which country the tourist arrived. “Thailand now needs to be on the lookout, especially when it comes to visitors from parts of Africa where monkeypox is endemic. But to date, the virus has been reported in the US, Australia, and Canada, as well as several European countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. To date, more than 100 cases have been reported in Europe,” he said. It can be assumed that more careful monitoring awaits tourists from these countries. “The Department is closely monitoring people arriving from those countries that are most at risk. Between 1 and 22 May, 13,142 travelers arrived from England, 1,352 from Spain and 268 from Portugal,” Mr Opas reported.
The expert also noted that people can become infected with monkeypox through close contact with an infected person or animal. “Person-to-person transmission is limited but can occur through body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials. At this stage, most person-to-person transmission of the virus occurs through sexual contact,” he added. Obviously, sex tourists will also be “in control” and how exactly is being decided now.
Also, local residents and tourists were urged to avoid eating meat from wild animals and importing animals from unidentified countries. And besides – told the main symptoms of the disease. Director of the Thai Institute of Dermatology Mingkwan Wichaidit stated that they include fever, muscle pain, headaches and lymphadenitis during the first 3 days. This is followed by a rash on the face that spreads to other parts of the body. The rash turns into blisters and then crusts over 14 to 21 days. Mingkwan says symptoms last 2 to 4 weeks. Tourists were also told to wash their hands frequently with soap and alcohol throughout the day and to “avoid touching wild animals.”
For more information about the measures taken in Turkey, read here.
For those who care about a healthy lifestyle, we recommend reading: “British doctors named 7 reasons for sweating during sleep when you need to see a doctor.”