The Indian Ministry of Health has reported the first confirmed case of monkeypox (mpox) in the country.
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“Laboratory tests confirmed the patient to have West African monkeypox virus group 2 (Clade 2). This case is an isolated case, similar to the earlier 30 cases reported in India since July 2022, and is not part of the current public health emergency. reported by WHO associated with the mpox Clade 1 virus,” the report said.
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As the ministry clarified, the infected man recently returned from a country where smallpox transmission continues. The man is in a specialized isolation ward, his condition remains clinically stable, he does not have any systemic diseases or concomitant pathologies.
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“Active public health measures, including contact tracing and monitoring, are being taken to contain the situation. There is currently no indication of any widespread risk to the population,” the Ministry of Health said.
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From the beginning of 2024 to August 9, more than 17.5 thousand cases of monkeypox have been registered in Africa, including 517 deaths. In Europe, a case of monkeypox has only been confirmed in Sweden. Asian countries that have reported cases of monkeypox include Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand. The authorities of the latter country at the end of August confirmed the danger to humans of the new Clade 1b strain.
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Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that is potentially dangerous for people with weakened immune systems. The infection is accompanied by fever, intoxication, enlarged lymph nodes and the subsequent spread of the rash – first in the form of spots that transform into blisters, after opening ulcers form, after they heal – crusts, and when they fall off – scars. In mild cases, the disease usually goes away on its own and lasts from 14 to 21 days.
