India reports 1st case of fast-spreading mpox strain
India has reported its first case of the new Clade 1b strain of the mpox virus in the southern state of Kerala, according to media reports.
“Health Minister Veena George urged caution after a Mpox case confirmed in Kerala. Airport surveillance has been stepped up, and travellers from affected countries must report any symptoms. Sample collection and treatment are ensured,” the state government said last week in a post on the social media platform X.
In a Facebook post, George confirmed the person who tested positive was a 38-year-old man who had recently travelled to India from the United Arab Emirates. He was admitted to a government hospital in Mallapuram, George said.
Indian media outlets said George, speaking in Malayam to reporters, confirmed the case belonged to the new clade 1b strain. Reuters confirmed this, citing sources within the Indian Health Ministry.
Reuters said Health Ministry spokesperson Manisha Verma confirmed the strain after Indian news agency ANI cited official sources as saying the mpox case reported in the Malappuram district of Kerala last week belonged to clade 1.
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About 29 friends and family members of the patient along with 37 passengers on his flight are being monitored at home but none of them have shown any mpox symptoms so far, Shubin C, a local official with Malappuram district, told Reuters on Monday.
Indian authorities had issued an advisory this month to all states to remain vigilant and be prepared to address potential cases.
The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global health emergency on Aug. 14 after the new strain of the virus, which was first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo, began spreading to countries in the region.
India has been on alert about the virus since the WHO’s declaration.
The country had already reported 30 cases of the older clade 2 strain until March this year, with one additional case being reported this month.
“As per the present assessment, the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low,” the health ministry had said in a statement last month after the WHO’s declaration.
Two strains of mpox are now spreading in Congo: the endemic form of the virus, clade 1, and the new clade 1b strain, with the term “clade” referring to a form of the virus.
Mpox transmits through close physical contact, including sexual contact, but unlike previous global pandemics such as COVID-19, there is no evidence it spreads easily through the air.
It typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions and is usually mild but can kill.
In her Facebook post last week, Veena George urged anyone experiencing symptoms to seek treatment immediately.
— with files from Reuters
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