Mpox Outbreak: Precautions for Clade 1b Strain in India

Urgent Measures to Combat Mpox Outbreak

India has become the third non-African country to report a case of Mpox clade 1b, prompting immediate action from health officials. The Union health secretary, Apurva Chandra, has directed state governments to take urgent preventive measures to mitigate the risk of an Mpox outbreak in the country.

• States must spread awareness about Mpox and its transmission.
• Timely reporting of suspected cases is crucial.
• The healthcare workforce must be trained adequately.

Chandra emphasized the importance of preventing public panic and recommended that samples from skin lesions in suspected cases be sent for diagnostic testing at designated labs. For confirmed positive cases, samples should be forwarded to ICMR-NIV for genome sequencing to ascertain the specific clade responsible for the infection. Diagnostic testing capabilities are robust, with 36 ICMR-supported labs already equipped to handle Mpox testing.

Recent Developments in Mpox Surveillance

On Monday, India confirmed its first clade 1b case in a 38-year-old man from Kerala, who recently traveled from the UAE. This patient remains stable under close observation. Earlier, India's inaugural Mpox case was reported in a 26-year-old from Haryana, linked to previous outbreaks in Africa.

Chandra also recounted that Mpox has been designated as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the WHO, primarily due to its evolving nature and the presence of more virulent strains outside of Africa. Countries including Sweden and Thailand have reported incidents of **clade 1b**.

As public health officials continue to navigate this situation, vigilance and informed response measures will be crucial in controlling the spread of Mpox.