Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: India has reported its first case of the Mpox Clade 1 strain, which has prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare it a public health emergency last month. The case was detected in a 38-year-old man from Malappuram district, Kerala, who had recently returned from the United Arab Emirates, according to PTI reports.
Sources confirmed that the Clade 1b strain has been identified in the patient, who is currently stable and under observation. This marks the first case of the current strain that led to the WHO’s emergency declaration.
Manisha Verma, a spokesperson for the health ministry, corroborated the detection of the strain after ANI cited official sources confirming the case in Kerala’s Malappuram district.
Previous Mpox Cases in India
Earlier this month, a 26-year-old from Hisar, Haryana, tested positive for the West African Clade 2 strain of Mpox. Since the 2022 WHO declaration of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, 30 cases have been reported in India.
About Mpox Clade 1 Strain
The Mpox Clade 1b strain is a form of monkeypox that is endemic to Central Africa and can cause severe illness. The strain is fast-spreading, prompting the WHO to issue a public health emergency due to the increasing number of cases in African countries.
Global Impact and WHO Concerns
According to the WHO, over 30,000 suspected cases of Mpox have been reported across Africa this year, with the majority from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where testing resources have been exhausted. Over 800 deaths have been recorded on the continent during this period.
The outbreak has also affected neighboring countries like Burundi, where cases continue to rise. With the fast-spreading nature of the Clade 1 strain, global health authorities are ramping up efforts to control the infection’s spread.
India’s health authorities remain vigilant and are monitoring the situation closely as more updates emerge regarding the containment of the virus.
