Researchers in Thailand are examining wastewater for signs of monkey pox as part of efforts to trace the spread of the virus. Monitoring wastewater is considered a faster, more cost-effective way to understand the spread of monkeypox, compared to testing individuals.
awBron: The guardian
Academics from Naresuan University in Northern Thailand’s Phitsanulok province began testing wastewater near Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport in May. They apply the same technique that was used to detect the spread of the coronavirus.
Monkeypox can be detected in the feces of an infected person, even during the latent phases when no symptoms appear. Moreover, there is no risk of spreading the virus via the sewage water. “The detection of monkeypox in sewage is considered safe and there is no evidence of the possibility of contamination through sewage,” said Dr. Thanaphon Penrat, of the Thai Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation.
The Thai investigation has so far found no traces of the virus near the Bangkok airport. So far, only one case of monkeypox has been identified in Thailand.
The global monkeypox outbreak was declared an international public health threat by the World Health Organization (WHO) last week.