India has confirmed an isolated case of mpox but reassured the public that it is not related to the new strain driving global concerns. The country’s health ministry announced on Monday that while the case tested positive for mpox, it is linked to the West African Clade 2 strain, not the recently identified Clade 1b variant causing the current health emergency.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared its highest international alert level on August 14 following a resurgence of mpox and the detection of the new Clade 1b strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This new variant, associated with an outbreak in eastern DRC, has raised concerns due to its spread across parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe.
India’s health ministry initially reported a suspected mpox case on Sunday involving a male patient who had returned from a country experiencing an active outbreak. Following testing, the case was confirmed as mpox, but it was identified as the Clade 2 strain, which has been less of a public health concern compared to Clade 1b.
“This case is an isolated case… and is not a part of the current public health emergency (reported by WHO) which is regarding Clade 1 of mpox,” the ministry stated.
The patient, a young man, is currently in isolation at a designated care facility, and authorities have initiated contact tracing and monitoring to prevent any further spread.
India has not reported any cases linked to Clade 1b, and the ministry emphasized that there is no widespread risk to the public at this time.
Mpox, which was previously known as monkeypox, has seen a resurgence globally, particularly with the emergence of the Clade 1b strain, which was first detected in sex work communities in eastern DRC in September 2023. This strain has since spread to nearby countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda—regions that had not previously recorded mpox cases. Clade 1b cases have also surfaced in parts of Asia and Europe.
While the global situation is being closely monitored, Indian authorities remain confident that the current case is contained and unrelated to the new, more concerning strain.
