India Reports First Case of Mpox Variant Clade 1b

India has confirmed its first mpox case involving the highly transmissible Clade 1b variant. The patient, a 38-year-old man from Kerala, tested positive after returning from Dubai. This marks the first reported case of the fast-spreading variant in South Asia.

Manisha Verma, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of Health, stated that at least 30 people who came into contact with the infected individual have been tested, with all results returning negative.

The Clade 1b variant has been linked to the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa, where it has caused over 29,000 suspected cases and 812 deaths this year. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global health emergency, with the new variant first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo spreading rapidly to other regions.