India: First case of mpox Clade 1b strain detected in Kerala

India on Monday (Sep 23) reported its first case of Mpox strain Clade 1b. The strain was confirmed in a patient from Kerala, reported an Indian news agency citing official sources.

Clade 1b strain has been detected in a 38-year-old man from Kerala's Malappuram district. The man, as per reports, had recently returned from the United Arab Emirates.

Mpox strain Clade 1b

According to reports, the 38-year-old patient was stable and "this was the first case of the current strain that led to the World Health Organization declaring Mpox a public health emergency last month for a second time".

Previously, a case of another Mpox strain, the West African Clade 2 strain, was reported from the Indian National Capital. The patient was identified as a 26-year-old resident of Haryana's Hisar.

Just last month, the WHO declared the Clade 1b strain a public health emergency. Before that, in 2022, the global body declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Kerala Health Minister's appeal to the public

Kerala Health Minister Veena George has previously appealed to the public, including those returning from abroad, to inform the authorities in case of any symptoms.

In a post on Facebook, the health minister shared a list of state-run hospitals in various districts where treatment and isolation facilities for people affected by the infection have been arranged.

George mentioned that the state health department has already heightened airport surveillance following the Centre's guidelines due to the Mpox outbreak in several African countries.

She added that individuals coming from countries with reported infections have been advised to report any symptoms at the airport.

(With inputs from agencies)