India’s Kerala state has confirmed its first case of the highly contagious Clade Ib mpox strain, sparking global health concerns due to its rapid spread.
According to reports, a 38-year-old patient, who recently traveled to Dubai, is recovering in isolation at a local hospital, with lesions healing and no new symptoms reported.
Kerala’s Health Minister, Veena George, praised the state’s robust healthcare system for detecting the case, revealing strengthened surveillance, including at airports, and five mpox testing facilities.
Recall that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Clade Ib outbreak a global health emergency last month after it spread to four unaffected African countries.
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This strain, previously contained in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has now been detected in Sweden and Thailand, raising alarms worldwide.
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Mpox Symptoms and Transmission:
– Fever, rash, lesions, headache, muscle and back pain, low energy, and enlarged lymph nodes.
– Spreads through close contact (touching, kissing, sex) and contaminated materials (sheets, clothing, needles).
Mpox Clades:
– Clade I and Clade II, with Clade II responsible for the 2022 global outbreak.
– Clade Ib causes more severe disease.
It was further disclosed that authorities had identified 29 contacts, who are in self-quarantine, and are monitoring 37 airline passengers and five close contacts.
Fortunately, Kerala’s experience in containing infectious diseases, such as the Nipah virus outbreak last year, will aid in managing this situation.
