New mpox case confirmed; Centre advises states to screen and test all suspect cases

A 26-yearold man from Hisar, Haryana, has tested positive for mpox following recent travel to a country experiencing transmission of the disease, the Union Health Ministry announced on Monday.

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Officials said that this is an isolated case, with no immediate risk to the public, and measures have been put in place to ensure the situation is contained.

The patient, currently in stable condition, was admitted to the Delhi governmentrun Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital on Saturday. A source at the hospital confirmed that the patient remains stable and is being treated in isolation. Laboratory tests confirmed that the patient is infected with the West African clade-2 variant of the mpox virus, known for its milder symptoms and lower mortality rate compared to other strains.

The Union Health Ministry stressed that this single case is not related to the current global mpox health emergency declared by the World Health Organization (WHO), which focuses on the more severe clade 1 of the virus. "There is no indication of widespread risk to the public at this time," the ministry said, adding that public health protocols, including contact tracing and monitoring, have been implemented to contain the infection.

The ministry reiterated that the patient's case aligns with previous mpox cases detected in India since July 2022, bringing the total number of cases reported in the country to 31. These earlier cases were similarly identified as isolated incidents with no signs of community transmission.

In response to the confirmed case, the Centre has advised all states and Union Territories to heighten surveillance and testing of suspected cases within the community. Health facilities have been instructed to identify isolation units for both suspected and confirmed mpox patients.