Health Ministry spokesperson Manisha Verma has confirmed the strain. The case found in Kerala is South Asia’s first recorded case from the new strain. “India reports first MPOX clade 1 case, which was reported from Kerala Malappuram last week.The patient is a 38-year-old man who traveled from the UAE; this is the strain after which WHO declared a public health emergency,” sources told news agency PTI.
Clade 1b was declared public health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on August 14 after the new strain was found spreading to neighboring countries after being identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Monkeypox infection: When to seek medical help
Another mpox case was identified in India in Delhi, but it was of the Clade 2 strain.
What were the mpox symptoms seen in the infected man?
“The man had a fever and rash similar to chickenpox on his body, after which the doctor got suspicious and sent a sample for testing,” they added. About 29 friends and family members of the patient along with 37 passengers on his flight are being monitored at home but none of them have shown any mpox symptoms so far, Malappuram district’s nodal officer, Dr. Shubin C, told Reuters on Monday.
Can mpox kill?
While it can cause serious illness, it is not typically fatal in most cases; but can kill in rare cases. The severity of the infection depends on the individual’s health, the virus strain, and access to medical care. Symptoms include fever, body aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a characteristic rash that often starts on the face before spreading to other parts of the body.
In rare instances, complications can arise, such as pneumonia, sepsis, or encephalitis, which can be life-threatening, especially in immunocompromised individuals or those with underlying health conditions. Children and pregnant women may also face higher risks. The overall mortality rate varies between 1% and 10%, depending on the region and virus strain. Early detection, proper medical care, and vaccination significantly reduce the risk of severe outcomes, making fatalities relatively rare in well-equipped healthcare settings.