27 Sept 2024 • The Union Health Ministry has issued an advisory for all states and union territories on the Mpox disease after India became the third non-African country to report a case of clade 1b Mpox infection recently.

• Samples from skin lesions of any patient with the suspected symptoms of Mpox should be sent to the designated labs immediately, and for those that test positive a sample should be sent to designated labs immediately, and the positive sample should be sent to ICMR-NIV for genome sequencing to determine the clade.
• Robust diagnostic testing capability is already available; 36 labs supported by ICMR across the country and three commercial PCR kits validated by ICMR that are now approved by CDSCO, as per the Union Ministry’s advisory to states and union territories.

The ministry, in its letter, said that as per available information, clinical presentation of Mpox clade I in adults remains similar to clade II. However, the rate of complications may be higher in clade I than with clade II infections.The ministry has instructed the states to assess public health preparedness at health facilities, with reviews to be conducted by senior officials at both the state and district levels.

Source: DD | Read full story