India’s health ministry reported on September 9 that a young man, recently returned from a country with active Mpox transmission, tested positive for the disease. He was admitted to Delhi’s LNJP Hospital and is currently stable. Public health measures, including contact tracing and monitoring, are in place to manage the situation.
This case occurs amid a global resurgence of Mpox, notably after the identification of a new strain, Clade 1b, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO issued a top-level international alert on August 14 due to rising global cases.
Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus. While historically transmitted from animals to humans, it can now spread person-to-person.
Recent studies have shown that Bavarian Nordic’s smallpox vaccine is 58% effective against Mpox after one dose, offering a significant preventive measure.
