On 8 September, India’s Health Ministry reported a suspected Mpox case in a patient who recently traveled from a country with active transmission. The patient is isolated, stable, and under investigation. Contact tracing is underway, with no cause for undue concern.
Published Sep 08, 2024 | 7:17 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 08, 2024 | 7:17 PM
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday, 8 September said that a suspected case of Mpox is under investigation in the country, and the patient has been put under isolation.
“A young male patient, who recently travelled from a country currently experiencing Mpox (monkeypox) transmission, has been identified as a suspect case of Mpox. The patient has been isolated in a designated hospital and is currently stable,” said the health ministry in its statement.
It added that samples from the patient are being tested to confirm the presence of Mpox. 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 development of this case is consistent with the earlier risk assessment conducted by the NCDC and there is no cause of any undue concern. The country is fully prepared to deal with such isolated travel related cases and has robust measures in place to manage and mitigate any potential risk,” said the ministry.
World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has declared the outbreak of Mpox, formerly known as Monkeypox, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other countries in Africa as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), on late Wednesday, 14 August.
This is the second time, the virus has been declared a PHEIC, the last time WHO declared Mpox as a health emergency was in July 2022, following the outbreak, and rapid spread to at least 75 nations and territories.
India had reported eight cases of Monkeypox. While five were from Kerala, three were confirmed in Delhi. One death due to Monkeypox was reported in Kerala in 2022. The public health emergency was declared over in May 2023, following a steady decline in cases.
Over 14,000 reported cases and 457 deaths have been documented worldwide since the resurgence of Mpox in 2022. The majority of these cases are concentrated in Africa, where the virus is endemic, but new cases have also emerged in Asia and Europe.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the ongoing outbreak a public health emergency of international concern in August 2024, particularly due to the rapid spread of Clade 1b. This variant is believed to be more severe than previous strains, with a higher fatality rate compared to Clade 2, which has been responsible for most cases since 2022.
Currently, cases have been reported in 14 African nations, with additional cases confirmed in Sweden, Thailand, the Philippines, and Pakistan. The Clade 1 variant has been identified in these non-African countries, raising concerns about its potential spread.
The virus spreads primarily through close contact, including sexual contact, and can also be transmitted via contaminated objects. The ongoing outbreak has largely affected men who have sex with men, although it is not limited to this demographic.
Health authorities are implementing measures such as enhanced surveillance, contact tracing, and vaccination campaigns targeting high-risk groups. Vaccination against smallpox has been shown to provide some protection against Mpox, but the overall vaccination rates have declined since the eradication of smallpox in 1980.
While the previous outbreak of Clade 2 was officially declared over in May 2023, new cases continue to emerge, particularly of the Clade 1 variant. The situation remains fluid, with health officials closely monitoring developments and urging vigilance in all regions.
The Union Health Ministry has not revealed the name the state from where the suspected case of Mpox has been detected.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
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