Cause Of Concern: India Reports First Case Of Fast-Spreading Mpox Clade 1 Strain

New Delhi: India on Monday reported the first case of Mpox clade 1 strain, which led to the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the virus as a public health emergency last month, reported Reuters.

The fast-spreading Mpox clade 1 strain has been detected in a 38-year-old man from Kerala’s Malappuram district.

The patient, who recently returned from the United Arab Emirates, is currently stable and under observation.

Manisha Verma, a spokesperson for the Union Health ministry, confirmed the strain after ANI quoted official sources as saying that the latest Mpox case in India belonged to clade 1.

The earlier cases of Mpox detected in India were the West African Clade 2 strain, which is the less severe type according to WHO.

Clade 1b is a type of Mpox currently endemic in Central Africa, It can spread fast and cause severe illness, hence WHO declared it as a public health emergency following hundreds of infections across African countries.

Indian government, which has taken note of Mpox threat, needs to be on guard against an outbreak, a la coronavirus four years ago.

WHO said on Monday that more than 30,000 suspected cases of Mpox have been reported from Africa so far this year, most of them originating in Democratic Republic of Congo.