India claims first case of monkeypox infection in India

India has recorded the first case of infection with a new strain of monkeypox - mpox clade 1. This is reported by Reuters.

It is noted that the patient was found in the city of Malappuram, which is located in the state of Kerala. 38-year-old man the day before returned from the United Arab Emirates.

As indicated by journalists with reference to local doctors, the infected person has the same symptoms as in chickenpox - fever and rash.

This is India's first case of infection with a new strain of monkeypox, because of which the World Health Organisation declared a public health emergency last month," the report said.

It is known that all relatives of the sick person, as well as passengers of the aircraft with whom he flew to India, are under the close attention of medics. However, in them so far the disease is not recorded.

Recall, in August 2024, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adanom Ghebreyesus declared the outbreak of monkeypox in Africa an international public health emergency. In July, 1,425 cases of monkeypox and six deaths were reported worldwide. More than half of the cases (55 per cent) were reported in Africa. Another 24% were in the Americas region. About 11% of the total number - in Europe and 1% in Southeast Asia.

Note that monkeypox is a fairly rare viral disease. It can be dangerous for people with weakened immunity. A smallpox patient experiences fever, symptoms of intoxication, enlarged lymph nodes and a rash that goes through several stages: spots, vesicles, ulcers, crusts and scars. In a mild course, the disease goes away on its own and lasts from 14 to 21 days. In severe forms of monkeypox, larger and more extensive lesions (especially of the oral cavity, eyes and genitals), secondary bacterial infections of the skin or blood and lungs may occur. The incubation period is usually 6 to 16 days, but can be as long as three weeks.

Monkeypox virus was first identified in 1958 in laboratory monkeys. However, rodents remain the main vectors of the disease. The first human case was reported in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Until recently, the disease was considered relatively rare and characteristic of certain regions of Africa. An outbreak of monkeypox outside the African continent occurred in 2022, when thousands of people in the United States, Canada, European countries and Australia became ill. A new outbreak happened in 2024. At that time, 38 thousand people fell ill there and more than 1.4 thousand people died.