Additional screening measures are now in place for visitors traveling from countries where monkeypox has been reported.
According to the Department of Disease Control (DDC), travelers must now fill out and present a health declaration card upon arriving at airports in Thailand. The card, which contains a QR code, allows officials to keep track of each passenger and provide appropriate medical care in the event of an emergency.
The DDC has established an emergency operations center (EOC) to monitor the spread of monkeypox and instructed related units to be vigilant for travelers from Central and West Africa, the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal, where the virus has been detected.
According to DDC officials, any visitors exhibiting signs of illness will be transferred to the nearest hospital for testing.
Dr Chakkarat Pitayowonganon, director of the department’s epidemiology division, said the EOC will assist in screening tourists who may have been exposed to the virus. He explained that during the incubation period, infected individuals may not exhibit visible symptoms such as rashes and raised spots that transform into blisters and scabs.
Monkeypox symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pains, backache, swollen glands, chills and fatigue. They also resemble those of smallpox, although the symptoms are typically less severe. (NNT)
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