mpox Cases Discovered in Kerala! First South Asian Case of 1b Variant Virus Outbreak, India Faces Global Health Crisis!

On 23 September 2024, the Indian Department of Health announced a case of mpox in Kerala, in the southern part of the country, involving a male with the fast-spreading Clade 1b variant. This is the first documented case of a novel mpox in South Asia. Health Ministry spokeswoman Manisha Verma confirmed the virus strain. Earlier, ANI News Agency quoted official sources as saying that the measles cases reported last week in Malappuram district of Kerala belong to Clade 1.

The Kerala government revealed last week that the patient, a 38-year-old man from the United Arab Emirates, has been admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in the region. Malapuram district official Dr. Shubin C told Reuters on Monday that about 29 friends and family members of the patient and 37 passengers on the flight on which the patient was travelling are being monitored at home, but so far none of them have shown any symptoms of mpox.

The Kerala health minister's office did not immediately respond to Reuters' queries on details of the case. India, as the most populous country in the world, has not reported cases of mpox caused by this new strain to date. However, federal authorities have issued a warning to all states this month, advising them to be vigilant and prepared for possible cases. The rapid spread of Ebola has led the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a global health emergency. The newly identified branch of the virus began to spread in neighbouring countries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Between 2022 and March this year, India reported about 30 cases and one death of the older strain, known as Clade 2, and another case of Clade 2 was reported earlier this month. Currently, two strains of Mpox are circulating in the Congo region, namely the endemic strain of the virus Clade 1 and the new Clade 1b strain. The term "clade" refers to a particular form of virus.

mpox is primarily spread by close physical contact, including sexual contact, but unlike previous global pandemics such as COVID-19, there is currently no evidence that the virus is easily transmitted through the air. The disease usually causes flu-like symptoms and pus filled lesions, and while most cases are mild, it can sometimes be fatal.