Mpox case suspected in man who recently travelled to India, samples under test

man, who recently travelled to India, is being suspected of having the monkeypox (Mpox) virus, the health ministry said.

The ministry said in the statement that the man has been isolated and admitted to a hospital. His condition is currently stable, the ministry said. Samples from the patient are being tested to confirm the presence of Mpox virus. The man travelled to India from a country which is experiencing Mpox transmission currently, it said.

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, the ministry said.

The ministry further said that there is no need for any "undue concern" as this case is consistent with the earlier "risk assessment" conducted by the National Centre for Disease Control.

The country is fully prepared to deal with such isolated travel-related cases and has robust measures in place to manage and mitigate any potential risk, the ministry said in the statement.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the recent outbreak of the virus, which can spread through contact, as a public health emergency of international concern on August 14, after a new variant of the virus was identified.

Source: India Today