Kerala is set to issue new guidelines for the prevention and treatment of mpox after a 38-year-old man from Edavanna in Malappuram tested positive for the Clade 1b strain of the virus, marking the first case of this strain in India. The patient, who recently returned from Dubai, is currently receiving care at Manjeri Medical College Hospital. He sought medical attention due to a high fever and visible blisters, leading authorities to conduct tests that confirmed the infection on September 18.

Health Minister Veena George has called for a meeting of the state-level Rapid Response Team (RRT) to evaluate the situation, especially as cases of mpox continue to rise globally. The Clade 1b strain, known for its increased infectiousness compared to Clade 2, is contributing to the current global outbreak.

Minister George announced plans to enhance the number of testing centers in the state, which currently stands at five, to better manage the situation. She urged travelers arriving in Kerala from other countries to report any symptoms to health authorities and seek prompt treatment. Additionally, she instructed that any cases presenting at government and private hospitals should be communicated to the health department.

To prevent further spread of the virus, individuals who had close contact with the infected patient have been placed under isolation, adhering to established protocols. The patient’s samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for genomic sequencing to better understand the strain. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, part of the Orthopoxvirus genus.