Suspected Mpox Case Identified in India, Patient Stable: Health Ministry

A young male patient, who recently returned from a country experiencing ongoing Mpox (Monkeypox) transmission, has been identified as a suspected case of Mpox, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The patient has been isolated at a designated hospital and is currently reported to be in stable condition.

The Health Ministry said that samples have been taken from the patient and are being tested to verify 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 ministry said.

It added that 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 case and has robust measures in place to manage and mitigate any potential risk, the ministry said.

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. 

There are two types of mpox: clade I and clade II. Both clades can spread through direct contact with infected wild animals, through close contact with a person with mpox, and through contact with contaminated materials.

Common symptoms of mpox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last 2–4 weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes. 

A global outbreak of clade IIb began in 2022 and continues to this day, including in some African countries.

There are also growing outbreaks of clades Ia and Ib affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries in Africa.

As of August 2024, clade Ib has also been detected beyond Africa, according to the WHO.

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