India’s health ministry says it has recorded a suspected case of mpox. The case involves a man who recently traveled from a country experiencing an mpox outbreak.
The ministry said in a statement on Sunday that they have isolated the young male patient in a hospital. He is in stable condition. They added that the world’s most populous nation has implemented “robust measures.”
“The case is being managed in line with established protocols, and contact tracing is ongoing to identify potential sources and assess the impact within the country,” the health ministry added.
The ministry did not specify which strain of the mpox virus the patient might have, but they are conducting tests to confirm the infection.
Global Concern over Mpox Variant
The clade 1b variety of mpox has triggered global concern because it seems to spread more easily through routine close contact.
Last week, Sweden confirmed a case of the variant and linked it to a growing outbreak in Africa. India has detected 30 cases of an older strain, known as clade 2, between 2022 and March 2024.
Formerly called monkeypox, researchers discovered the virus in 1958 in Denmark, in monkeys kept for research. Scientists first detected it in humans in 1970. The virus transmits to humans from infected animals and can also spread between humans through close physical contact.
Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.
Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) changed the name monkeypox to mpox, saying the name of the disease appeared to be “racist”. Last month, the global health body declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after identifying the new variant.
But the WHO added that the mpox outbreak is not another COVID-19.
According to the WHO, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported more than 17,500 mpox cases and 629 deaths since the start of the year. Both strains – clade 1b and clade 1a – are present in the country.
The DRC has received its first batch of mpox vaccines, which health authorities hope will help curb an outbreak that has prompted the United Nations to declare a global public health emergency.
Researchers have also detected the virus in Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand.
This news is sourced from Aljazeera and is intended for informational purposes only.
