Monkeypox cases have not yet disappeared from India. This is known from the Union Health Ministry in India which has isolated a young male patient in a special hospital as a suspected case of monkeypox infection.
The case is the first case of monkeypox in six months but the location is still being kept secret. The young male patient had recently traveled from another country and is currently in stable condition and undergoing clinical care according to the protocol.
In August, the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of international concern. The situation is exacerbated by concerns about a new type of a new type of monkeypox virus called Clade 1b which caused more than 15,600 cases, including 537 deaths in 2024.
A new type of Clade 1b virus has emerged this year in several African countries that had not previously reported such infections.
Symptoms of Monkeypox
Common symptoms of monkeypox are:
- Skin rash or mucosal lesions (can last two to four weeks)
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Back pain
- Fatigue
- Swollen lymph nodes
Treatment involves providing clinical support to the patient until the immune system recovers.
How does Monkeypox Spread?
According to WHO documents, monkeypox spreads from person to person mainly through close contact such as:
- Touching
- Kissing
- Sex
- Face to face proximity with an infected person
- People with multiple sexual partners are at higher risk of acquiring monkeypox
- Some object that can be contaminated by monkeypox include clothing, linen, or needle injuries
However, transmission of monkeypox can be prevented quickly by means of rapid diagnosis, isolation and careful contact tracing, which is sufficient to prevent the spread.