India says mpox case not linked to current global health emergency

India hasn’t reported any case of new strain of virus but issued an advisory to remain vigilant

India on Tuesday clarified that its first new mpox case involved the older strain of the virus and not the deadlier one linked to the current global health emergency.

The health ministry said the mpox strain found in a young man who had arrived from an affected country was not from the current outbreak.

It was the Clade 2 strain and not Clade 1 linked to the current public health emergency declared by the WHO.

Clade 2 caused a public health emergency in 2022 but was deemed relatively mild. Clade 1 has a high fatality rate and a mutant strain of it, Clade 1b, has spread rapidly.

India has not reported any case of the new strain yet, but has issued a national advisory to remain vigilant.

The health ministry directed state governments to have senior officials review public health preparedness, especially at medical facilities. It was “crucial”, however, to guard against “undue panic”, the ministry added.

“A young male patient, who recently travelled from a country experiencing mpox transmission has been identified as a suspect case of mpox,” the ministry said earlier.

The patient, 26, from Hisar in the northern state of Haryana, was admitted in a Delhi hospital after testing positive for Clade 2.

“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.

Mpox generally causes symptoms of flu and lesions, posing higher risk to children, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals (Reuters)

The WHO last month declared mpox, previously called monkeypox, a “public health emergency of international concern,” its highest alert level.

It urged member states to support a $135m plan to combat the virus’s spread following concerns from doctors about the new, deadlier Clade 1b strain which has affected several African countries such as Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Central African Republic.

Sweden reported Europe’s first case of Clade 1b on 15 August. In Asia, Thailand reported the first such case on 22 August and Pakistan and the Philippines each reported suspected cases thereafter.