Isolate all Mpox cases, follow strict control measures: Health Ministry

After India became the third non-African country to report a case of clade Ib Mpox infection recently, the Union Health Ministry on Thursday (September 26, 2024) written to all States and Union Territories directing that all suspected Mpox cases be isolated and strict infection prevention and control measures be put in place.
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After India became the third non-African country to report a case of clade Ib Mpox infection recently, the Union Health Ministry on Thursday (September 26, 2024) written to all States and Union Territories directing that all suspected Mpox cases be isolated and strict infection prevention and control measures be put in place.

It said samples from skin lesions of any patient with suspected symptoms of Mpox should be sent to the designated labs immediately and for those who test positive a sample should be sent to the ICMR-NIV for genome sequencing to determine the clade.

“Robust diagnostic testing capability is already available; 36 labs supported by the ICMR across the country and three commercial PCR kits validated by ICMR that are now approved by CDSCO,’’ said the Ministry.

It said the World Health Organisation on August 14, 2024 announced that the current outbreak of Mpox (previously known as Monkeypox) disease was a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This is the second time such Mpox disease associated with PHEIC has been declared by the WHO under the International Health Regulations, 2005, to which India is a signatory.

The 2024 PHEIC is related to Mpox virus clade I which is more virulent and more transmissible than Mpox clade II. This clade has been found outside Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) only during the current outbreak. Outside Africa, one case each of Mpox clade Ib has been recently reported from Sweden and Thailand.

The Ministry, in its letter, said that as per available information, clinical presentation of Mpox clade I in adults remains similar to clade II. However, the rate of complications may be higher in clade I than with clade II infections.

Key actions

It has listed out key public health actions that are required to be undertaken to prevent/ minimise the risk of further spread of Mpox in India, including undertaking appropriate activities to make communities aware about the disease, its modes of spread, need/importance of timely reporting and preventive measures, review of public health preparedness, particularly at health facility level at the State and districts and identification of isolation facilities in hospitals for taking care of both suspect and confirmed cases, along with availability of required logistics and trained human resources in such facilities and augmentation plan.