India reports case of mpox in traveller from affected country

India has recorded a suspected case of mpox found in a man who recently travelled from a country suffering an outbreak of the virus, the health ministry said on Sunday.

“A young male patient, who recently travelled from a country currently experiencing mpox transmission, has been identified as a suspect case of mpox,” the health ministry said in a statement.

It gave no further details of where he may have contracted it.

“There is no cause of any undue concern,” it added.

“The country is fully prepared to deal with such (an) isolated travel related case and has robust measures in place to manage and mitigate any potential risk.”

“The case is being managed in line with established protocols, and contact tracing is ongoing to identify potential sources and assess the impact within the country,” the ministry added.

The patient has been isolated in a hospital and is in a table condition, the ministry said.

“The patient has been isolated in a designated hospital and is currently stable,” it said, adding the samples “are being tested to confirm the presence of mpox”.

Last month, The Hindu daily newspaper reported that India had been on alert since a new strain of mpox became virulent in Africa.

The ministry did not specify which strain of the mpox virus the patient might have, but tests were being conducted to confirm the infection.

Mpox can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.

The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after the new variant was identified.

India has detected 30 cases of an older strain, known as clade 2, between 2022 and March 2024.

There had been no confirmed cases of mpox in India amid the new strain, a country of 1.4 billion people.

Mpox’s resurgence and the detection in the Democratic Republic of Congo of a new strain, dubbed Clade 1b, prompted the WHO to declare its highest international alert level on August 14.