The Centre issued a fresh advisory to states and union territories following the detection of India’s first case of the mpox clade 1b strain in Kerala. States have been instructed to isolate suspected cases and enforce strict infection control measures. Clade 1, a more virulent and rapidly spreading strain, has been declared a global public health emergency by the WHO. The advisory emphasizes the need for early testing, with skin lesion samples from suspected cases being sent to designated labs, and genome sequencing for positive cases at ICMR-NIV Pune to determine the viral strain.
India is the third non-African country to report a case of the clade 1b strain, following Sweden and Thailand. The advisory highlights that India has sufficient diagnostic capabilities, with 36 ICMR-supported labs across the country and approved PCR kits available for testing. States are urged to set up isolation facilities in hospitals for confirmed and suspected cases, with trained staff and appropriate resources. Public awareness campaigns are encouraged to inform communities about the disease, its transmission, and the importance of timely reporting while preventing public panic.
India has reported two mpox cases this year. The first was a 26-year-old from Haryana who tested positive for the less severe West African Clade 2 strain. The second, involving the clade 1b strain, was a 38-year-old man who recently traveled from the UAE and was admitted to a government hospital in Kerala. The advisory also stresses the importance of reviewing public health preparedness, particularly at the district and health facility levels.
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