Thailand has 470 mpox cases this year, signs to watch for
The figure is up from 139 cases in mid-July. After reading, you will know which rash needs a test, why a photo cannot tell, and when to call 1422.
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- Mpox spreads through close contact and shared items
- Fever comes first, then the rash turns into blisters, pus-filled spots and scabs
- A photo of a rash cannot show whether it is mpox
- While you wait for results, isolate, cover sores and do not share towels
- With an unusual rash today, call 1422 or go to a clinic near you
- FAQ
- Sources
A rash of small red spots that appears a few days after a fever is something most people put down to an allergy, or they wait a while to see if it clears up. If the rash is somewhere private, such as the genitals or around the anus, many people are even more reluctant to see a doctor. But if that rash is mpox, the virus can pass to the people closest to you through touch and shared household items while you wait.
The Department of Disease Control said in a statement on 3 November 2026 that Thailand had recorded 470 mpox cases and 3 deaths from the start of the year to 31 October. Its director-general, Dr Monthien Kanasawat, asked people to watch for unusual rashes or bumps and to see a doctor without waiting for the rash to spread over the body, because the disease can be detected and treated. The figure climbed quickly in the second half of the year. The department had counted 139 cases from 1 January to 18 July 2026, Thai PBS reported, which means more than 300 new cases in the three and a half months since.
Mpox spreads through close contact and shared items
Mpox is a viral infection that causes fever and a rash on the skin. It spreads in three ways: close contact with someone who has it, sex, and touching items soiled with a patient's body fluids or scabs. Picture a single towel hanging in the bathroom that everyone at home picks up and uses, or a bed sheet a sick person has slept on all night. These are one way the virus reaches others at home without anyone noticing.
Anyone who has been exposed can catch it. The department stressed that being ill is nothing to be ashamed of, and asked everyone not to stigmatise or shun patients. Doctors and health workers have been asked to treat patients with understanding and keep their information confidential. The groups that need extra care are people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and young children, because they are more likely to have complications and need close assessment by a doctor.
Fever comes first, then the rash turns into blisters, pus-filled spots and scabs
The first symptoms are fever, headache, back pain, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes. Together they look so much like an ordinary fever that many people do not think of anything else. A rash or bumps then appear on the skin, the face, the genitals or the anus. What sets this rash apart from an ordinary allergic rash is that it changes in stages: it starts as raised red spots, becomes clear blisters, then pus-filled spots, and finally dries and scabs over.
Not everyone has every symptom on the list. Some people have only a few spots, and for some the main symptom is pain around the anus. Anyone who waits for the full set of symptoms before seeing a doctor may wait too long. So the department advises that if you have an unusual rash, bump or sore, especially after close contact with someone with similar symptoms, you should see a doctor straight away.
A photo of a rash cannot show whether it is mpox
Many people want to take a picture of a rash and send it to a friend or search online first. But mpox spots look so much like herpes and chickenpox that neither looking at them nor looking at a photo can confirm the disease. A doctor has to look at the symptoms, ask about exposure and send a sample from a sore for a PCR test, which looks for the virus's genetic material in a laboratory. That is the main test used to confirm it. A routine blood test cannot confirm mpox.
Because the diagnosis depends on your history, telling the doctor plainly who you have been close to and where you have been helps get the right test the first time. If the result is negative but the symptoms do not go away, or the rash changes, go back to the doctor and take your test results and treatment history with you.
While you wait for results, isolate, cover sores and do not share towels
The time spent waiting to see a doctor or for test results is when your household needs the most care. Stay apart from other people, avoid close contact and sex, keep sores or bumps covered, and do not share clothes, towels or bedding with anyone. Use your own plates and cutlery, wash your hands often with soap or 70% alcohol, and wear a surgical mask that fits snugly.
The good news is that most patients recover on their own. Doctors treat the symptoms, for example with painkillers, care for the sores so they do not become infected, and watch for complications. Not every confirmed patient needs to stay in hospital. Many can isolate at home, avoiding travel until all the sores have healed, the scabs have fallen off and new skin has formed. But anyone in severe pain, unable to eat or drink, with sores near the eyes, or getting worse needs to see a doctor at once.
With an unusual rash today, call 1422 or go to a clinic near you
If you or someone at home has a rash or bumps you do not recognise today, do not wait for it to spread. Separate the towels and bedding tonight, cover the sores and get checked at a hospital or health centre near you. If you are not sure where to go, or want to ask first, the Department of Disease Control hotline, 1422, can help. Getting tested early does not only help you; it also lowers the chance that the people sharing your room catch it too.
FAQ
How many mpox cases does Thailand have?
The Department of Disease Control counted 470 cases and 3 deaths from the start of 2026 to 31 October 2026.
What are the symptoms of mpox?
It starts with fever, headache, back pain, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a rash that changes from red spots to clear blisters, pus-filled spots and scabs. Some people have only a few spots or pain around the anus.
Can a photo of the rash show whether it is mpox?
No. The spots look like herpes and chickenpox, so a doctor has to send a sample from a sore for a PCR test.
Who should I contact if I think I have it?
See a doctor at a health centre near you, or call the Department of Disease Control hotline, 1422. While you wait, isolate and do not share towels or bedding.
