Kerala reports second Mpox case, third in India; strain being analysed

The first Mpox case in India this year involved a man from Haryana, with a less concerning strain. The second case, detected in Kerala, was the first instance of the more concerning clade 1b strain

Kerala on Friday confirmed the second case of the viral Mpox (monkeypox) infection, taking the total number of cases in India to three so far. The patient, a 26-year-old man who recently returned from the UAE was identified in Ernakulam by the state health department, The New Indian Express reported.

The patient has been hospitalised at a private hospital and is undergoing treatment. His samples have been sent for genomic sequencing at the National Institute of Virology in Pune. An analysis will reveal if the latest case is Mpox of the viral deadly Clade 1b strain or the previously known Clade IIb strain.

The more severe and fast-spreading, Clade 1b Mpox strain, has already been reported in one of three detected cases so far. A 38-year-old man from Edavanna in Malappuram tested positive of the disease on September 18 and was found to have contracted the newer strain, prompting health officials to implement proactive preventive measures.

First Mpox case in India in 2024

The first Mpox case reported in India this year involved a 26-year-old man from Hisar, Haryana, who was found to have the older strain, according to the Health Ministry.

Mpox is a viral illness caused due to the species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. The virus has two distinct clades: clade 1 (including subclades 1a and 1b) and clade 2 (comprising subclades IIa and IIb).

After Kerala reported the first instance of Clade 1b, the Centre issued guidelines to all states and union territories to prevent the risk of further spread of Mpox in India. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared Mpox as a public health emergency of international concern in mid-August.

The disease can be spread due to close contact or by touching contaminated objects such as clothing or linen and has symptoms such as fever, rash, skin outbreaks, muscle aches among others.