Monkeypox patient who flee from Thailand found in Cambodian capital

A Nigerian man, who has contracted monkeypox and fled Thailand recently, was found here in the capital of Cambodia on Saturday evening, a deputy governor said.

The 27-year-old man, identified as Osmond Chihazirim Nzerem, was found at Phsar Deum Thkov area in the Chamkarmon district after a report from the Thai authority, deputy governor of the Phnom Penh Municipality Koeut Chhe was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

"The Nigerian man was detained and sent to the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital," he told the news agency via telephone. "We have also deployed our police force at the hospital to monitor the man as he does not cooperate with health staff."

The Nigerian man was confirmed to be infected with monkeypox by the Thai health authority on Thursday.

The patient, who entered Thailand's southern tourist island of Phuket in October 2021 with no departure record, had been sick for more than a week, developing symptoms including fever, sore throat, coughing and rashes, and sought treatment at a local hospital as an outpatient last week.

According to the Phuket health authority, after the test result turned out to be positive, the patient refused to receive treatment, turned off his phone, did not contact the hospital and fled to Cambodia.

--IANS

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