Kerala reports first mpox clade 1b case, health ministry issues advisory

Days after a 38-year-old Kerala man was confirmed to have been infected with the Mpox Clade 1b strain, considered to be more virulent and transmissible, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra on Thursday issued a list of actionable points for all states and union territories to combat the further spread of the virus in the country.

In an advisory, the Health Secretary mentioned that while the clinical presentation of Mpox Clade I in adults remains similar to Clade II, the rate of complications is however higher in Clade I infections than in Clade II.

List of actionable points for States/UTs:

Amid the rising outbreak of monkeypox infection, with over three non-African countries, including India, reporting cases of Clade I, the Health Ministry suggested key actionable points to be implemented nationwide to combat the spread of the virus.

The Health Ministry emphasized the need for states/UTs to raise community awareness about the virus, including its mode of



transmission, the importance of timely reporting, and preventive measures. It also highlighted the importance of reviewing public health preparedness, particularly at health facilities at the state and district levels, by senior officials.

The Health Ministry further instructed UTs and states to strictly adhere to treatment guidelines, including the isolation of suspected Mpox patients and the implementation of strict infection prevention and control measures.

Additionally, the Health Ministry has stated that if samples (including skin lesion samples from suspected patients) sent to designated labs test positive, the samples then should immediately be sent to ICMR-NIV for genome sequencing to determine the clade.

"Robust diagnostic testing capability is already available, with 36 labs supported by ICMR across the country, and three commercial PCR kits validated by ICMR that are now approved by CDSCO," the Health Ministry’s guidelines added.