India reports Mpox case, no risk to people: Health ministry

The Union Health Ministry on Monday confirmed the case of Mpox in a young male who tested positive for a strain from western Africa.

The ministry said the patient remains clinically stable and is without any systemic illness or comorbidities.

There is no indication of any widespread risk to the public at this time, the ministry said.

The government said the testing had confirmed the presence of 'clade 2' of the virus, and that the particular strain is not a part of the current public health emergency, reported by World Health Organisation (WHO) which is regarding clade 1 of Mpox.

“The previously suspected case of Mpox (monkeypox) has been verified as a travel-related infection. Laboratory testing has confirmed the presence of Mpox virus of the West African clade 2 in the patient. This case is an isolated case, similar to the earlier 30 cases reported in India from July 2022 onwards, and is not a part of the current public health emergency (reported by WHO) which is regarding clade 1 of Mpox,” the health ministry said in a statement.

A 'clade' refers to a biological grouping that refers to all evolutionary descendants of a particular strain of virus.

“The individual, a young male who recently travelled from a country experiencing ongoing Mpox transmission, is currently isolated at a designated tertiary care isolation facility. The case aligns with earlier risk assessments and continues to be managed according to established protocols.”

The ministry said that contact tracing and monitoring are actively in place to ensure the situation is contained.