A True Story From Blackpool, England

In September 2018, the United Kingdom recorded three monkeypox (mpox) cases within about a month. Source: STAT News, 26 Sep 2018

• Case 1: On 8 September 2018, a Nigerian man staying at a naval base in Cornwall became the UK's first case.
• Case 2: Three days later, a man who had recently returned from Nigeria was first treated at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where he was not initially recognized as having monkeypox.
• Case 3: On 26 September 2018, a worker at the Blackpool hospital was confirmed infected by the second patient.

The key detail: the health worker was infected before the hospital had diagnosed the patient, so isolation and protective equipment for this disease were not yet in use.

Public Health England said both earlier cases were the milder West African strain and used smallpox vaccine to protect contacts.

Why This Matters for Thai Hospitals

Thailand is a regional medical hub. Private hospitals in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya treat patients from all over the world every day, and some arrive from countries with active outbreaks.

Thailand's own experience confirms it. Thailand's first clade Ib patient, in August 2024, travelled from Africa and was admitted to a private hospital in Bangkok the day after arriving, and early lab results from different laboratories conflicted. Source: Emerging Infectious Diseases, US CDC

The DDC also stresses that mpox lesions can resemble herpes, chickenpox or other skin infections, so a rash alone cannot confirm the disease; PCR from a lesion is required. Source: Hfocus, 3 Nov 2026

Risk Points Before Diagnosis

• Emergency and outpatient departments, where patients wait with others.
• General wards admitting patients before results are known.
• Bed linen and patient gowns changed by staff unaware of the risk. A Lancet Microbe study found that changing bed linen in mpox patients' rooms was linked to virus in the air. Source: NIHR HPRU-EZI
• Interpreter and international patient coordination rooms.
• Wheelchairs and stretchers used to move patients.
• Relatives' rooms in private wards.

The Damage If You Are Not Prepared

• Staff infected and off work, as in Blackpool.
• Other patients on the same ward becoming contacts.
• Partial ward closures for cleaning.
• Reputation in the highly competitive international patient market.
• The burden of tracing contacts among staff and patients.

Good Practice for Hospitals

1. Take a travel history at screening, especially for patients with fever and rash who have come from outbreak countries within 21 days.
2. Separate patients with fever plus rash until they have been assessed.
3. Apply standard infection prevention to every patient, without waiting for a diagnosis.
4. Change linen without shaking it and bag it separately, as the US CDC advises. Source: US CDC
5. Send a lesion sample for PCR when mpox is suspected.
6. Disinfect every surface the patient touched with a product labeled to kill viruses and its full contact time.
7. Once confirmed, clean every area the patient used retrospectively, from the emergency department to the ward, and arrange vaccination for contacts according to guidance.
8. Have professionals disinfect the whole area after the patient has been moved.

Prevention Through Disinfection Service and Chemgene HLD4H

The mpox virus is an enveloped virus, the type that suitable disinfectants can inactivate when used correctly and given the full contact time.

1. Disinfection spraying service. The World Health Disinfection team uses ULV equipment across emergency departments, wards and common areas. Our service page lists a Bangkok hospital among the places we have served, and areas can be used about 30 minutes after spraying. See the disinfection service

2. CHEMGENE HLD4H. A concentrated disinfectant imported from the United Kingdom. According to product information, it is endorsed by NHS England and Mahidol University and references testing to the European virucidal standard EN 14476. It suits wiping beds, wheelchairs and equipment between patients. See Chemgene HLD4H

Ten reasons hospitals choose WHD:

1. A disinfectant used in UK hospitals, per product information citing NHS England endorsement.
2. References EN 14476 virucidal testing.
3. Both a daily-use product and whole-area spraying.
4. Emergency call-outs when a result is confirmed after the fact.
5. Fast return to use, about 30 minutes after spraying.
6. Suitable around electronics, as stated on our service page.
7. ULV mist reaches under beds, behind curtains and into corners.
8. Reassures international patients who choose hospitals by their standards.
9. Tax invoices for juristic persons.
10. More than five years of experience.

Before and After

Before

• No travel history taken for patients with rashes.
• Bed linen changed routinely without precautions.
• After confirmation, nobody is sure which areas to clean.
• Staff are anxious.

After

• Travel history screening at the door.
• Wiping with Chemgene HLD4H between patients.
• Every area the patient used disinfected after confirmation.
• Staff feel confident.

Frequently Asked Questions

How was the Blackpool worker infected? Reports say the worker caught it from a patient cared for at the hospital before diagnosis, when isolation and specific protective equipment were not yet in use.

Must the hospital close a ward? That depends on the infection control team's assessment. Disinfection spraying helps areas return to use quickly.

Must every international patient be tested? No. Focus on those with symptoms and a risk history.

Can Chemgene HLD4H be used on medical equipment? Product information describes it as a high-level disinfectant for medical use. Use it according to the label and the hospital's own guidelines.

Sources and Related Links

• WHD disinfection spraying service
• Chemgene HLD4H disinfectant
• World Health Disinfection homepage
• STAT News: Three UK monkeypox cases, 2018
• Emerging Infectious Diseases: Thailand's first clade Ib case

Prevention Starts Before the Diagnosis

The Blackpool story teaches that the greatest risk comes before anyone knows what a patient has. Hospitals that clean and disinfect correctly as routine protect staff and patients without waiting for test results.

Protect your hospital with the disinfection spraying service from World Health Disinfection and Chemgene HLD4H for daily disinfection.

Call 065-556-6294 or add LINE @whd268 for a quotation.

Call 065-556-6294 | LINE: @whd268