The Kerala health department confirmed another Mpox case in the state on Friday. Officials urged anyone with symptoms to seek treatment immediately. Earlier this week, Kerala reported India’s first confirmed case of the new Mpox strain.
A high-level evaluation meeting was held on Friday to assess the situation. State Health Minister Veena George said that the patient’s contacts have been traced, and preventive measures are in place. "Isolation facilities have been arranged in all districts," the minister said in a statement.
The minister also encouraged people arriving from abroad to contact the health department if they experience any symptoms. She assured that the state is prepared to handle an increase in cases and that new guidelines for prevention and treatment will be released soon.
Mpox, originating in the African continent, was first detected in humans in 1970, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The WHO declared mpox as a public health emergency after the surge in cases last year and rapid spread of a new virus strain in DRC, Clade 1b, which appears to be spreading mainly through sexual networks. Mpox was previously declared as an emergency in 2022
The samples of the patient, who is undergoing treatment at a private hospital, have been sent for genomic sequencing at the National Institute of Virology in Maharashtra's Pune to ascertain whether it is the deadly Clade 1b strain or the previously known Clade IIb strain.
Mpox Cases In India So Far
On September 9, India recorded the first case of mpox as the health ministry confirmed that a 26-year-old man from Haryana's Hisar, who recently travelled from a country experiencing symptoms, tested positive for the infection.
On September 18, Kerala reported another confirmed case of mpox, marking the second known case of infection in the country following the recent global outbreak of the disease. The patient was a 38-year-old man in Malappuram district who returned from the UAE.
Centre's Direction To States Over Mpox
The Centre on Thursday asked all states to identify facilities and trained human resources for taking care of both suspected and confirmed mpox cases after India reported its first case of the strain that had last month prompted WHO to declare a public health emergency.
In a letter to states and Union territories, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra said samples from skin lesions of any patient with suspected mpox symptoms should be immediately sent to designated labs.
States have been asked to review public health preparedness, particularly at the state and district level by senior officials, besides identification of isolation facilities in hospitals for taking care of both suspected and confirmed cases, availability of logistics and trained human resources and augmentation plan.
"All suspected mpox cases should be isolated and strict infection prevention and control measures put in place. Treatment is symptomatic and available treatment guidelines should be followed," he said.
