India reports first case of Mpox Clade 1 strain that led WHO to declare public health emergency: Report

NEW DELHI: India on Monday reported its first case of Monkeypox (Mpox) Clade 1 in Kerala's Malappuram district. The patient, a 38-year-old man who recently returned from the UAE, is infected with the strain that led WHO to declare a public health emergency.
"India reports first MPOX Clade 1 case, which was reported from Kerala Malappuram last week. The patient is a 38-year-old man who travelled from the UAE; this is the strain after which WHO declared a public health emergency," sources told news agency ANI.
"The man had a fever and rash similar to chickenpox on his body, after which doctor get suspicious and sent sample for testing," they added.
Earlier last week on Wednesday, the 38-year-old man undergoing treatment in Malappuram was confirmed with Mpox infection after showing symptoms of the disease, following his return from Dubai, the State health department said.
The State health minister Veena George had said that the man had taken precautionary measures by isolating himself from his family after noticing symptoms of monkeypox.
Earlier, the first Mpox case was detected in the national capital, Delhi, on September 11, when a 26-year-old resident of Hisar, Haryana, tested positive for the virus. The individual was then admitted to the Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital for treatment.
The first suspected case of Mpox (monkeypox) had been verified as a travel-related infection. Laboratory testing has confirmed the presence of Mpox virus of the West African Clade2 in the patient. All 31 Mpox cases identified in the country since 2022 have been attributed to the Clade 2 strain.

The World Health Organisation declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern for the second time due to the emergence of the Clade 1 strain and its spread in African nations on Aug 14.
The organisation said that the virus spreads "mainly through sexual networks and its detection in countries neighbouring the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is especially concerning of the public health emergency of international concern (PHIC)."
Clade 1, historically found in the Congo Basin in central Africa, is generally more severe, with higher rates of complications such as encephalitis, pneumonia, respiratory distress, and secondary bacterial infections.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is currently witnessing a surge in Mpox cases, driven by two distinct strains of Clade 1. The WHO's decision to issue its highest level of emergency alert was largely influenced by the rapid spread of Clade 1b and its detection in neighboring countries.