China's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has said that it had detected the new mutated mpox strain clade Ib. The Chinese Health authorities have declared that they have found a cluster outbreak of the Ib subclade that started with the infection of a foreigner who has a history of travel and residence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Later, four more cases have been found in people who were in close contact with the infected individual. The patients' symptoms are mild and include skin rash and blisters.
Last August, WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that spread to neighbouring countries. These recent cases in China indicate that viral infection continues to spread to more countries.
The variant has spread from DRC to neighbouring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, triggering the emergency declaration from the WHO.
Know more about mpox
Mpox is an infectious disease that causes flu-like symptoms with pus-filled lesions on the body. A painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, fever, headache, muscle ache, back pain and low energy are a few symptoms of mpox. These symptoms are usually mild but can be fatal in rare cases.
According to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, so far, clade Ib has a lower case fatality rate than clade Ia mpox.
The clade Ib variant appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact.
Treatment and vaccination
Getting vaccinated against mpox is the best way to prevent it. Treatment usually involves supportive care that can help control symptoms. There is no proven effective antiviral treatment for mpox.
Complication of mpox
Some complications of mpox include:
- Loss of vision
- Inflammation around heart
- Bacterial infection
- Pneumonia
- Severe scarring
- Inflammation in brain
China said in August last year it would monitor people and goods entering the country for mpox.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
