Kerala to conduct genome sequencing to identify Mpox variant

Malappuram: Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Thursday that genome sequencing will be conducted to identify the variant of the virus that the person diagnosed with monkeypox (Mpox) in the state has contracted.

A day after a 38-year-old man in this district was confirmed to have contracted Mpox, the minister also said that all activities in accordance with the current protocol for disease prevention had been carried out.

She said that the 2B variant of the Mpox virus has a lower potential for spread. However, the 1B variant of the virus, found in Africa, has a higher potential for spread.

"Once the variant of the virus is identified, it will help in understanding its potential for spread and taking additional measures," she told reporters.

The minister said that the condition of the Mpox patient is satisfactory.

"There are 23 people on the contact list of the patient. Those who were on the same flight as the patient have been identified, totaling 43 people," she said.

All individuals who had contact with the Mpox patient have been traced, the minister added, assuring that there is no need for concern regarding the disease.

Kerala reported a confirmed case of Mpox on Wednesday, marking the second known case of infection in the country following the recent global outbreak of the disease.

According to the Kerala Health Department, the infected man had recently returned from the United Arab Emirates. He had been hospitalised here with symptoms consistent with monkeypox, Last week, a new case of Mpox emerged in the national capital when a 26-year-old resident from Hisar, Haryana, tested positive for the virus and was admitted to the hospital.

This was the first such case reported in India since the WHO declared the Mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

Official sources have said that the initial case does not belong to the ongoing outbreak, as genomic sequencing indicates it is a distinct viral strain from a separate clade.

Mpox infections are generally self-limiting, lasting between two and four weeks, and patients usually recover with supportive medical care and management. It is transmitted through prolonged and close contact with an infected patient.

It typically manifests itself with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications.