New Delhi: India reported its first “suspected mpox case” a day ago on September 8, with the Union health ministry noting there is no cause for undue concern and that it had “robust measures” in place to contain the spread of the disease.
“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,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry did not disclose which country the patient arrived from or which variant he was suspected of having contracted.
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,” it added.
The development of this case is consistent with the earlier risk assessment conducted by the National Centre for Disease Control, it said.
“[T]here is no cause of any undue concern. The country is fully prepared to deal with such isolated travel related case and has robust measures in place to manage and mitigate any potential risk,” the ministry noted.
The new variant of mpox, dubbed Clade 1b, was first detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On August 14, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared its highest level of international alert over the disease – a public health emergency of international concern.
Over 120 countries have reported mpox between January 2022 and August 2024, with over 100,000 laboratory-confirmed cases reported and over 220 deaths among confirmed cases, the WHO says.
The UNICEF has noted that in the DRC, children under 15 represent more than half of the cases.
Mpox’s symptoms, according to the WHO, are similar to smallpox, though less severe. They include skin rash, fever, sore throat, headache, body aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
Mpox can spread from animals to people, between people and from the environment to people, through:
- contact with lesions on the skin or infectious bodily fluids,
- contact with contaminated materials such as clothing, linen or sharps injuries in healthcare settings,
- contact with respiratory droplets, from an infected person’s mouth or throat, and
- contact with infected animals.
Pregnant women can pass the virus on to their unborn baby. Children can be exposed at home or in the community through close contact with people who are symptomatic with mpox including parents, caregivers, or other family members.
