Mpox, which has been spreading at a rapid rate across the world, has finally landed on India’s shores with a 38-year-old man from Kerala being positively diagnosed with the virus’ Clade 1B on Monday. Prior to this, another person was found to have the infection in Delhi, with officials later confirming that he had been diagnosed with the Clade II infection. India has reported at least 32 mpox cases and one death since 2022, but the Kerala man is the first in the country to have the clade 1b.
What is the clade 1b infection? Is it any different from other strains? Should India be worried? We answer this and more. India’s first clade 1B infection On Monday (September 23), it was reported that a 38-year-old man from Kerala’s Malappuram district became the country’s first reported case of the mpox clade 1b strain. He had recently returned from the United Arab Emirates following which he was diagnosed with mpox.
Officials said that the patient is stable for now. They said that 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. Following this, Malappuram’s health officials put 29 friends and family members along with 37 passengers on the same flight under observation.
However, none of them have shown any signs or symptoms of mpox. Earlier in the month, another man — a 26-year-old from Haryana’s Hisar — was diagnosed with mpox. However, he tested positive for the West African Clade 2 s.