Reports from the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

India Reports First Mpox Clade 1 Variant Case in Malappuram, Kerala

Sep 23, 2024, 12:33 PM

India has reported its first case of the Mpox Clade 1 variant, a fast-spreading strain that prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a public health emergency. The case was confirmed in a 38-year-old man who returned to Kerala from the UAE and was admitted to Government Medical College Hospital in Alappuzha. This marks the second case of Mpox in Kerala, with the first case involving a man who returned from Bahrain. The new Clade 1b variant has raised global concern due to its rapid spread and limited information available about it. India is the third country outside of Africa and the first in South Asia to confirm a case of this particular variant, with the case being reported in Malappuram.