India confirms first mpox case, No widespread risk to public: Health Ministry
New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has confirmed the first monkeypox case in the country. ''The previously suspected case of mpox has been verified as a travel-related infection. Laboratory testing has confirmed the presence of mpox virus of the West African clade-2 in the patient," it said.
According to the PTI report, the ministry said that it is an isolated case, similar to the earlier 30 cases reported in India from July 2022 onwards. It is not a part of the current public health emergency reported by WHO which is regarding clade 1 of mpox, it underlined.
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"The individual, a young male who recently travelled from a country experiencing ongoing mpox transmission, is currently isolated at a designated tertiary care isolation facility. The patient remains clinically stable and is without any systemic illness or comorbidities," the ministry said.
The case aligns with earlier risk assessments and continues to be managed according to established protocols, it said, adding that public health measures, including contact tracing and monitoring, are actively in place to ensure the situation is contained, news agency PTI reported.
"There is no indication of any widespread risk to the public at this time," the health ministry stated.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) last month declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for the second time in view of its prevalence and spread across many parts of Africa.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, released new guidelines for handling suspected Monkeypox cases and designated five beds for isolation and treatment. The Delhi government has directed three of its hospitals- Lok Nayak, GTB and Baba Saheb Ambedkar to set up isolation rooms for the management of suspected and confirmed cases.
This move aligns with the World Health Organization's (WHO) declaration of Monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern, emphasizing the need for enhanced awareness and stringent infection control measures.
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