New Delhi: The Ministry of Health on Monday confirmed that a man who recently travelled from an African country has monkeypox (mpox). Earlier on Sunday, the ministry had said samples were collected from the man and were being tested to confirm the presence of mpox. "The previously suspected case of Mpox (monkeypox) has been verified as a travel-related infection. Laboratory testing has confirmed the presence of Mpox virus of the West African clade 2 in the patient," the ministry said.
In a statement released by the MoH, it said the person, who is a young male who recently travelled from a country experiencing ongoing Mpox transmission, is currently isolated at a designated tertiary care isolation facility. Without disclosing the identity of the infected man, the ministry said the patient remains clinically stable and is without any systemic illness or comorbidities.
Not a part of the current public health emergency: MoH
However, it stressed that the case is an isolated case, similar to the earlier 30 cases reported in India from July 2022 onwards. It clarified that the latest case is not a part of the current public health emergency (reported by WHO) which is regarding clade 1 of mpox.
Further, it stressed that the case has been dealt with utmost care and the established protocols and added the public health measures, including contact tracing and monitoring are actively in place.
The Health Ministry specified that "there is no indication of any widespread risk to the public at this time."
"The case aligns with earlier risk assessments and continues to be managed according to established protocols. Public health measures, including contact tracing and monitoring, are actively in place to ensure the situation is contained. There is no indication of any widespread risk to the public at this time," according to the statement.
What is Monkeypox or mpox?
Mpox is an orthopoxvirus, from the family that causes smallpox. Population-wide protection from a global smallpox vaccine campaign 50 years ago has waned, as the vaccinating stopped when the disease was eradicated.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has been a public health problem in parts of Africa since 1970, but received little global attention until it surged internationally in 2022, prompting the World Health Organisation to declare a global health emergency. That declaration ended 10 months later.
Clade Ib of Mpox
A new strain of the virus, known as clade Ib, has the world's attention again after the WHO declared a new health emergency. The strain is a mutated version of clade I, a form of mpox spread by contact with infected animals that have been endemic in Congo for decades. Mpox typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions and can kill.
Congo has had more than 18,000 suspected clade I and clade Ib mpox cases and 615 deaths this year, according to the WHO. There have also been 222 confirmed clade Ib cases in four African countries in the last month, plus a case each in Sweden and Thailand in people with a travel history in Africa.
(With inputs from agency)
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