Mpox Outbreak: Latest Updates From India And World
Pushing the world on the edge of another pandemic, a new variant of Mpox, Clade Ib, is spreading faster across African countries and beyond. During the 2022–2023 outbreak outside Africa, the disease claimed over 140 lives out of more than 90,000 cases reported worldwide. As cases of Mpox are rising across the world, countries are taking measures to prevent the disease, which the World Health Organization recently declared a global health emergency.
In 2024 alone, at least 17,541 Mpox cases have been reported across 13 African countries. Out of which, 517 succumbed to the pandemic, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains the epicenter of the outbreak, with most cases reported from the country. Alarmingly, Congo reported more than 1000 new cases in the last week, raising the desperate need for vaccines.
Read Also: What Is Mpox That Forced WHO To Declare Global Health Emergency?
Mpox Status In India
According to a press release by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, since the 2022 declaration of a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO, at least 30 cases have been reported in the country. The last case of Mpox was detected in March 2024 in Kerala.
The release also noted that the government has taken preventive steps against the outbreak. It said that a meeting of experts was convened by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to assess the risk for India, and a Communicable Disease (CD) Alert on Mpox was issued earlier by the NCDC and is being updated to capture the newer developments. In addition, the government has alerted airports, ports, and borders and asked authorities to remain vigilant against the global rise in these cases.
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The government has also arranged for three central hospitals with facilities for isolation, like Safdarjung Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, and Lady Hardinge Hospital. Health officials in Pune have also started surveillance and testing of suspected cases. Authorities in Kerala have also announced alerts amid the growing fear of Mpox threats globally.
A viral infection affecting humans and animals, Mpox is an easily spreading pandemic causing pox-like conditions including rash with bumps or blisters on the skin. The bumps are filled with fluid or pus and finally heal. Severe conditions include larger and widespread lesions in the mouth, eyes, and genitals. The condition might cause lung and blood infections. It is being spread through close contact among people and animals.
