India has recorded its first case of monkeypox caused by variant 1b.
This is also the first case of monkeypox caused by variant 1b recorded in South Asia. According to the spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of Health - Ms. Manisha Verma, the above case was detected in Malappuram district, in the southern state of Kerala last week. The patient is a 38-year-old man, who recently returned to India from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is currently being treated at a government hospital in Malappuram district.
The patient’s 29 relatives and friends, along with 37 passengers on the same flight, are being monitored at home. However, so far, none of them have shown any signs of illness.
Although India has not previously recorded any cases of monkeypox infected with variant 1b, authorities issued an alert to all states this month, asking authorities and people to be vigilant and prepared to respond to potential cases.
The move came after the World Health Organization (WHO) on August 14 declared a global public health emergency (PHEIC) due to a new variant of monkeypox, first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has begun to spread to neighboring countries in Africa.