India's 1st Mpox Case? Centre Says Man Isolated, No Cause For Alarm

A man who recently returned from a country fighting the Mpox virus has been isolated in a hospital and his samples are being tested to confirm the infection, the government said today. The Centre has said in a statement that there is no cause for alarm.

"A young male patient, who recently travelled from a country currently experiencing Mpox (monkeypox) transmission, has been identified as a suspect case of Mpox. The patient has been isolated in a designated hospital and is currently stable," the Centre has said.

The statement added that that samples from the patient are being tested to confirm the presence of Mpox. "The case is being managed in line with established protocols, and contact tracing is ongoing to identify potential sources and assess the impact within the country," it said.

"The development of this case is consistent with the earlier risk assessment conducted by the NCDC and there is no cause of any undue concern. The country is fully prepared to deal with such isolated travel related case and has robust measures in place to manage and mitigate any potential risk," the Centre has said.

Last month, the World Health Organization declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern. The WHO said over 120 countries have reported Mpox between January 2022 and August 2024, with over 1,00,000 laboratory-confirmed cases reported and over 220 deaths.

The Health Ministry recently shared on X a video titled, "Everything You Need to Know About Mpox!" In the video, Dr Atul Goel, Director General of Health Services, explains the symptoms, mode of transmission and treatment options for Mpox.

According to the senior doctor, the symptoms of this infection are similar to a flu and include fever, pimples all over the body, swollen lymph nodes, headache and exhaustion. The WHO also mentions a skin rash or mucosal lesions that can last 2-4 weeks, accompanied by the other symptoms.

Mpox, Dr Goel says, is not airborne like influenza or Covid-19. It is primarily transmitted by unprotected close physical contact with an infected person. Apart from sexual transmission, it can also spread through contact with infected material, such as the patient's blisters and scabs. This makes maintaining hygiene crucial. Caregivers must use personal protective measures to avoid contracting and transmitting the infection.

Dr Goel says recovery period for this disease is about three to four and it's better for a patient to get admitted to the hospital to ensure isolation and proper care.

The senior doctor said no specific medicine for monkeypox infection is currently available. But smallpox and monkeypox viruses are similar, so treatments such as immune globulin and antiviral medications may also be used to treat monkeypox virus infections, especially in cases when the patient has severe symptoms.

The WHO says an mpox vaccine can help prevent infection. The vaccine can also be administered after a person has been in contact with someone who has mpox. "In these cases, the vaccine should be given less than 4 days after contact with someone who has mpox. The vaccine can be given for up to 14 days if the person has not developed symptoms," the WHO says.