India reports its first case of virulent mpox virus strain

India has detected its first case of the virulent mpox virus strain, according to a government official, as the latest global health emergency reaches the world's most-populous nation.

The patient, who is from Kerala, has tested positive for the clade Ib strain, the official said who asked not to be identified as the information has not been released formally by the health ministry.

The mutated strain was detected in a 38-year-old man from Kerala's Malappuram district, local news wire PTI reported on Monday. Thailand was the first in Asia to detect the new fast-spreading strain last month after a European male arrived in Bangkok from Africa.

Asian countries from China to Pakistan have been beefing up surveillance for weeks while Singapore has set up airport temperature and visual screenings as well as mandated a three-week quarantine at a designated facility.

Densely-packed

Indian public health authorities have also been on alert and gearing to tackle the pathogen in the densely-packed country where commuters in public transport often travel cheek by jowl. International airports such as Bengaluru have boosted vigilance by sending passengers through thermal scanners.

The current variant produces fluid-containing lesions and is spreading through close physical contact as well as all kinds of sexual activity. The earlier milder strain that erupted in 2022, by contrast, was spread primarily through men who have sex with men.

India, which has more than two dozen labs equipped for testing mpox, is working on sensitizing health teams at international airports as well as updating its mpox alerts, the health ministry said in August. The risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low as per India's current assessment, it added.

Serum Institute of India Pvt., the world's largest vaccine maker, is "working on developing" a vaccine for mpox and is expecting "positive news" within a year, it said on Aug. 21.

The newer strain has been spreading across several African countries and is reported to have killed more than 500 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Children and adolescents have been most affected in the outbreak in Africa, with majority of the known fatal cases under the age of 5.