India Reports First Case of New Mpox Strain

India has reported its first case of the Mpox strain that led to the WHO declaring it a public health emergency last month. A 38-year-old man from Kerala tested positive for the new Clade 1b strain. This follows the earlier detection of the Clade 2 strain in Haryana.

India has reported its first case of the Mpox strain, which prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a public health emergency last month, according to official sources on Monday. The patient, a 38-year-old man from Malappuram district in Kerala, had tested positive last week.

The Clade 1b strain was detected in the individual who had recently returned from the United Arab Emirates. The patient is currently stable, the sources said, noting that this is the first case of the current strain that led to the WHO getting involved again.

Previously, a 26-year-old resident of Haryana's Hisar tested positive for the West African Clade 2 strain earlier this month in the capital. Since the WHO's declaration of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in 2022, India has reported 30 cases.