New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has instructed all states and union territories to isolate suspected Mpox cases and enforce strict infection control measures after India recently reported its first case of clade Ib Mpox. India is the third non-African country to detect this strain.
In its advisory, the ministry called for immediate testing of skin lesion samples from suspected patients, with positive results sent for genome sequencing to confirm the clade. States have been told to identify isolation facilities and review public health preparedness at hospitals.
Following the World Health Organization’s declaration of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the ministry stressed the importance of controlling the spread of clade I, which is more contagious than previous strains. Officials have been asked to conduct regular assessments at both state and district levels.
India has set up 36 labs for Mpox testing, and three commercial PCR kits have been approved. The ministry said it will keep monitoring the situation closely and provide any necessary support to the states.
