Thailand reports 470 mpox cases and three deaths in first 10 months of 2026

Thailand recorded 470 mpox cases and three deaths between 1 January and 31 October 2026, prompting the Department of Disease Control to urge anyone with suspicious symptoms to seek medical attention promptly.

Department director-general Montien Kanasawadse announced the figures on 3 November, The Straits Times reported. He stressed the importance of early diagnosis and continued surveillance, and asked patients to give doctors an accurate account of their symptoms and possible exposure.

Mpox remains subject to surveillance under Thailand’s Communicable Diseases Act 2015 and a Ministry of Public Health notification issued in 2022. Montien said anyone exposed to the virus could become infected.

Do not wait for a rash to spread

Early symptoms commonly include fever, headaches, back pain, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes. Rashes or lesions may follow, appearing on the face, body, genitals or around the anus.

However, the department warned that symptoms do not always develop in the same order and not everyone experiences every characteristic sign. Some patients have only a few lesions, while others experience pain around the anus.

Skin changes can progress from raised red spots to fluid-filled blisters, pus-filled lesions and scabs. People with unexplained rashes, blisters or sores, especially after possible exposure, should seek medical advice rather than wait for lesions to spread.

Montien also urged people not to let embarrassment about symptoms in intimate areas delay an examination. He said healthcare workers would respect patients’ privacy and maintain confidentiality, and encouraged open discussion of symptoms and contact history.

Testing is needed to confirm infection

The department stressed that neither looking at a rash nor examining a photograph can confirm mpox. Similar symptoms can occur with herpes, chickenpox and other skin infections.

Diagnosis involves clinical assessment, possible exposure history and laboratory findings. The main confirmation method is a polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, test, which detects the virus’s genetic material in samples taken from skin lesions.

Patients whose initial assessment is inconclusive, or who test negative but continue to have symptoms, should return for further evaluation if new lesions appear or their condition changes. They should tell doctors about previous tests and treatment so that further examination or repeat sampling can be considered.

Deputy director-general Direk Khampaen said most people recover without specialised treatment. Care generally focuses on pain relief, symptom management, preventing secondary infections in lesions and reducing complications.

People with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and young children face a greater risk of severe illness and need closer medical assessment. Severe pain, difficulty eating or drinking, lesions affecting the eyes or worsening symptoms require immediate medical attention, the department advised.

Precautions while awaiting assessment

For residents and visitors awaiting medical assessment or test results, the department’s advice is to separate themselves from others, avoid sexual activity and close physical contact, and keep lesions covered.

It also recommended regular handwashing with soap or the use of 70% alcohol-based hand sanitiser, alongside wearing a well-fitting face mask.

To reduce transmission, people should avoid direct contact with an infected person’s skin or lesions and avoid close physical or sexual contact with anyone showing suspicious symptoms. Clothing, towels and bedding should not be shared because contaminated items can carry infectious material from bodily fluids or lesion scabs.

The department’s central message was to seek assessment early and provide a full symptom and exposure history, rather than attempt to identify the infection from its appearance alone.