India reports first case of mpox in current outbreak
India has reported its first case of a new strain of mpox that has prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a public health emergency, Reuters reported.
Known as clade 1b, the new variant is highly transmissible and has been linked to mpox disease outbreak in africa.
According to media reports, the virus strain was detected in a 38-year-old man in the southern state of Kerala who had recently returned from Dubai.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a contagious virus that can cause painful skin lesions.
WHO declared mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, a public health emergency in Africa in August.
Since then, a more dangerous variant of the virus has spread to countries outside the African continent, including Sweden, Thailand and Pakistan.
On Tuesday, health ministry spokesperson Manisha Verma confirmed to Reuters that the mpox case reported in Kerala’s Malappuram district was category 1.
Authorities said the patient is being treated in hospital and those who came into contact with the patient are being traced and monitored.
About 29 friends and family members of the patient, along with 37 passengers on his flight, are being monitored but so far none have shown any symptoms, the news agency reported, citing county health officials.
Over the past two years, India has reported more than 30 cases of mpox caused by the older clade 2 strain, which is considered less infectious.
Earlier this month, the mpox strain was detected in a man in the northern state of Haryana, who was hospitalised for several days.
Mpox disease is spread from animals to people and between people through close contact with an infected person — including sexual contact, skin-to-skin contact, and talking or breathing near another person.
It can cause symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and damage throughout the body. If left untreated, mpox can be fatal.
The federal government has issued an advisory to all states, asking them to be on the lookout for potential cases of mpox.
About 35 laboratories across the country have been designated to test suspected cases of mpox.
