India reports first ’suspect’ case of Monkeypox, Centre assures ’no cause of any undue concern’

The government on Sunday reported the first 'suspect' case of Monkeypox (Mpox) in the country and said there is no cause of any undue concern.

The Union Health Ministry, in a statement, said a young male patient, who recently travelled from a country currently experiencing Mpox transmission, has been identified as a suspect case of Mpox in the country.

“The patient has been isolated in a designated hospital and is currently stable,” the Union Health Ministry said, adding that “the samples from the patient are being tested to confirm the presence of Mpox.”

The development of this case is consistent with the earlier risk assessment conducted by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and there is no cause of any undue concern, the health ministry added.

It is important to note that the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern on August 14, 2024. The first announcement of the global outbreak was made in 2022 when cases started getting reported from world over.

Just after the WHO global alert, the Union Health Ministry in August itself incorporated suggestions from the NCDC, which included updated alert identifying sick patients at the ports of entry; isolation of suspected and confirmed cases; lab tests; symptoms, prevention, reporting of patients to the hospitals; surveillance strategies; community awareness; and hospital infection control measures.

The new Mpox strain found in Africa is more lethal than the previous one detected in 2022 and can also spread through sexual contact.

Mpox: Key facts

• Mpox is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. There are two distinct clades of the virus: clade I (with subclades Ia and Ib) and clade II (with subclades IIa and IIb).
• 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. Some people may have one or a few skin lesions and others have hundreds or more.
• Mpox can be transmitted through close contact with someone who has mpox, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals. During pregnancy, the virus may be passed to the fetus, or to the newborn during or after birth.
• Mpox is treated with supportive care for symptoms such as pain and fever, with close attention to nutrition, hydration, skin care, prevention of secondary infections and treatment of co-infections, including HIV where present.
• There are vaccines for Mpox. Vaccination should be considered along with other public health interventions.