Third Mpox Case Reported in India, Kerala Intensifies Efforts to Contain Virus

The third case of Mpox has been reported in the country. The infection has been confirmed in a 26-year-old man in Ernakulam, Kerala. This person, who recently returned from UAE, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city. His initial sample was tested at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Alappuzha and has now been sent to the NIV lab in Pune for genomic sequencing.

This is the second case of Mpox infection in Kerala and the third case found in India this year. Just last week, a 38-year-old man from Malappuram was found infected with Mpox. He had also traveled to UAE. His condition remains stable at the moment. Because of the dangers of Mpox, Kerala health officials have intensified efforts to prevent the spread of the virus. A separate protocol has also been introduced, especially for travelers coming from high-risk areas.

It is known that the World Health Organization (WHO) had declared Mpox a 'public health emergency of international concern' because of the dangers associated with the clade 1B variant of the infection. On the other hand, Kerala Health Minister Veena George had already urged all international travelers returning to the state to immediately seek medical help if they show any symptoms of Mpox.

On the other hand, the Central Government has issued a new advisory to all the states and union territories (UT) regarding the prevention and control of Mpox. In the advisory issued to the Chief Secretaries of all the states and union territories, Health Secretary Apurva Chandra said that samples of skin lesions of any patient with suspected symptoms of monkeypox should be immediately sent to the lab.

Chandra said that on August 14, WHO had declared Mpox as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). This is the second time the WHO has declared a PHEIC related to monkeypox disease under the International Health Regulations, 2005. The letter said that the previous outbreak in 2022 was caused by clade two variants of the virus. The advisory states, 'All suspected patients of monkeypox should be isolated and strict infection prevention and control measures should be taken. Treatment should be done based on symptoms and following guidelines.'