India has reported its first case of Monkeypox (Mpox) caused by the fastspreading Clade 1B strain of the virus. Last month, WHO declared Mpox as a disease of international concern, flagging the specific strain.
Health ministry sources said the strain has been found in a patient from Kerala who returned from Dubai recently. “The patient is stable, and contact tracing to identify any potential spread of the disease is being carried out,” a source in the ministry said. “There is no indication of any widespread risk to the public at this time,” the source added.
“Unlike influenza or Covid-19, Mpox is not airborne,” a health ministry official said. “It spreads mostly through unprotected close physical contact with an infected person. Sexual transmission is also an important mode of spread. In addition to that, the infection can spread from contact with infected material from blisters and scabs of a patient that can contaminate material such as bedding. Therefore, maintaining hygiene is important. Another mode of transmission is through caregivers who are not using personal protective measures.”
Mpox cases have been reported in India earlier as well. From 2022 to 2024, officials said, more than 30 cases of the disease have been reported from various parts of the country, mostly involving people with a history of travel to African countries, where the disease is widespread.
