Bangkok: New inmates at Thonburi Special Prison are suspected of having monkeypox. A new inmate at Thonburi Special Prison is suspected to have monkeypox. Doctors have dispatched an infection control unit and isolated high-risk inmates.According to Thai News Agency, the Department of Corrections received a report from Thonburi Special Prison that one inmate was ill and was sent for treatment at the Correctional Hospital. During preparations for surgery, it was discovered that the inmate had blisters on his foot and a high fever. Suspecting monkeypox, a culture test was conducted, and it was confirmed that the inmate may have been infected with monkeypox.The Thonburi Special Prison received the inmate on January 20, 2026. The inmate later developed a high fever and tissue necrosis in the foot, leading to his transfer to the Correctional Hospital. During preparations for foot surgery, the inmate's symptoms were consistent with monkeypox (Mpox). The infection control unit was then dispatched, and high-risk i nmates were isolated. The "Bubble and Seal" disease control approach was implemented at the Thonburi Special Prison to quickly contain the spread of the disease. This included quarantining newly admitted inmates, taking detailed histories, and observing symptoms of monkeypox such as fever accompanied by sore throat, headache, muscle pain, back pain, and swollen lymph nodes, as well as the presence of blisters, pustules, and scabs depending on the severity of the disease. Currently, no other inmates have been found to be associated with monkeypox.The Department of Corrections, the Correctional Hospital, the Thonburi Special Prison, the Ministry of Public Health, and the Department of Disease Control have been closely monitoring and preventing the spread of the infection. The Department of Corrections has instructed all prisons and correctional facilities to strictly adhere to the guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of monkeypox (MPox) as per the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Publ ic Health. If any inmate is suspected of having monkeypox, the Department of Corrections must immediately contact the relevant hospital or public health agency in the area and report the diagnosis to the Department of Corrections. To date, no additional cases of monkeypox have been found among inmates in any prisons or correctional facilities.
