Symptoms of mpox as India's first case triggers public health emergency alert by WHO

India has reported its first case of a new mpox strain, triggering a public health emergency alert from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The highly-transmissible clade 1b variant was found in a 38-year-old man from Kerala, marking South Asia's first recorded case of this strain.

Manisha Verma, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry, confirmed the strain after news agency, ANI, cited official sources saying the mpox case reported in Kerala's Malappuram district last week belonged to clade 1, according to Reuters. The patient had travelled from the United Arab Emirates and was admitted to a government hospital in the district.

Around 29 friends and family members of the patient, along with 37 passengers who were on his flight, are being monitored at home. So far, none have shown any mpox symptoms, reports Dr. Shubin C, the nodal officer for Malappuram district.

What is mpox?

Following a series of consultations with global experts, WHO have confirmed that the preferred term is “mpox” as a synonym for monkeypox.

Mpox is an illness caused by the monkeypox virus and is a viral infection which can spread between people. This can happen through close contact and occasionally from the environment through items and surfaces that have been touched by a person with the infection. It can also be transmitted from infected animals to people who have contact with them.

What are the symptoms of Mpox?

The signs and symptoms can vary between person to person. Common symptoms of mpox include a rash which may last around two to four weeks. This may start with, or be followed by:

• A fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Back pain
• Low energy
• Swollen glands (lymph nodes)

If you have a rash, it may look like blisters or sores which can affect the face, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, groin, genital and/or anal regions.

WHO add: "These lesions may also be found in the mouth, throat, anus, rectum or vagina, or on the eyes. The number of sores can range from one to several thousand. Some people develop inflammation inside the rectum (proctitis) that can cause severe pain, as well as inflammation of the genitals that may cause difficulties urinating."

Severe cases of mpox can lead to larger, more widespread lesions - particularly around the mouth, eyes and genitals. It could also result in secondary bacterial infections of the skin or blood, as well as lung infections. Individuals should be mindful that complications can include severe bacterial infection from skin lesions. Mpox can also impact the brain (encephalitis), heart (myocarditis) or lungs (pneumonia) and it can cause eye issues. Those with a severe case may require hospitalisation.

They warn: "In most cases, the symptoms of mpox go away on their own within a few weeks with supportive care, such as medication for pain or fever. However, in some people, the illness can be severe or lead to complications and even death. Newborn babies, children, people who are pregnant and people with underlying immune deficiencies such as from advanced HIV disease may be at higher risk of more serious mpox disease and death."

You can read more about mpox and the risks on the who.int website here.