[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] A monkeypox patient, the first confirmed case in Thailand, fled during self-isolation but was caught in Cambodia.
According to foreign media on the 24th, a 27-year-old Nigerian man who was diagnosed with monkeypox in Phuket, Thailand, and then fled, was arrested yesterday at a market in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The man visited a hospital on the 16th of this month with symptoms such as high fever, cough, and sore throat. The rash and lesions started around the genital area and had spread to his face and body. He then entered self-isolation but lost contact with medical staff, and it was confirmed that he left the hotel by taxi on the 20th.
He had entered Thailand last October and reportedly visited several entertainment establishments multiple times before symptoms appeared, and had close contact with tourists. The Thai government conducted monkeypox tests on those who might have been in contact with him, but no additional confirmed cases have been reported yet. Authorities are quarantining close contacts for 21 days for observation.
The Thai government announced plans to prosecute under infectious disease-related laws and is considering deportation. Although the police launched a search, they could not locate him for several days and he was eventually found in Cambodia. There had been no reported cases of monkeypox in Cambodia prior to his entry. Cambodian police handed over the arrested man to health authorities and are verifying his movements and contacts.
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