A disease control officer collects samples from high‑touch areas inside Thonburi Remand Prison in Bangkok on Wednesday as part of efforts to contain an mpox outbreak after two health volunteers exposed to a deceased inmate tested positive. Both are prison public health volunteers with mild symptoms and are being treated at the Medical Correctional Institution. The situation remains contained, Dr Montien Kanasawat, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said on Wednesday. Investigation teams had identified 49 inmates and health volunteers linked to the deceased as high‑risk contacts. The World Health Organization declared in September 2025 that mpox was no longer a global health emergency, but warned that it remained a public‑health concern in many countries.

Source: Bangkok Post February 18, 2026 18:08 UTC