A man who recently returned from a country experiencing Mpox transmission has tested positive for the virus, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced on Monday. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the West African clade-2 Mpox virus in the individual, marking this as a travel-related case.

In a statement, the Health Ministry emphasized that the case is isolated, akin to the 30 previous Mpox cases reported in India since July 2022. It also clarified that this instance is unrelated to the ongoing global public health emergency concerning clade 1 of Mpox, as declared by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The patient, a young male, is currently in isolation at a designated tertiary care facility and remains in stable condition. According to health officials, he does not exhibit systemic illness or any pre-existing conditions.

The ministry reassured the public that precautionary measures, including contact tracing and monitoring, are in place to contain the situation. There is no evidence of a wider public health threat at this time.

On the same day, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra issued an advisory to all states and union territories, outlining precautions and the key symptoms of Mpox, which was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by WHO.

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, has been a longstanding public health issue in parts of Africa but became a global concern in 2022. Since January 2022, the WHO has reported Mpox cases in 121 countries across all six regions, with a total of 102,997 confirmed cases and 223 deaths by July 31, 2024.

The WHO report, updated as of September 3, 2024, notes that in July alone, 1,425 cases and six deaths were reported globally. Over half of the cases (55%) originated in Africa, followed by the Americas (24%), and Europe (11%). The South-East Asia region accounted for 1% of the total cases.

(ani)