India’s first Mpox clad 1 case in Kerala: Know symptoms of strain that sparked WHO public health emergency alert
- A 38-year-old man from Malappuram, Kerala, has been identified as India's first Mpox clad I case. Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, has various symptoms, including rashes, muscle aches, and fever, and spreads through close contact.
A 38-year-old man from Malappuram district in Kerala has been detected with Mpox clad I on Monday, reporting the first case in India. The patient had recently returned from the United Arab Emirates.
Mpox or monkeypox is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) there are two clades of monkeypox virus: clade I with sub-clades Ia and Ib and clade II with subclades IIa and IIb.
Symptoms of Mpox
According to the WHO, some of the common symptoms of Mpox are:
- skin rash or mucosal lesions
- fever
- headache
- muscle aches
- back pain
- low energy
- swollen lymph nodes
- sore throat
In a few Mpox cases, the first symptom is a rash, whereas in others, it is usually muscle aches, a sore throat, or fever.
The WHO says that the symptoms of Mpox begin in a week and can start from 1 to 21 days of exposure to the virus. These symptoms may persist for two to four weeks. It may also last longer for somebody who has a weak immune system.
The symptomatic rash starts from the face, eventually moving to body including palms of hands and soles of the feet. Apart from the face, it may start from place where the contact was made including genital area.
The rash initially looks like a flat sore and develops into a blister with liquid. This blister may even be painful or itchy. After the rash heals, these blisters dry up, develop into a crust, and eventually fall off.
The number of sores or blisters may differ from patient to patient. Some may even have hundreds of them or some may have just one or a few of them. They appear anywhere on the body, such as the groin, genital areas, palms of hands and soles of feet, anus, face, mouth or throat.
Some patients may even experience painful swelling in the rectum and may face difficulty in passing urine.
There is a possibility of spreading the disease to others if the sores are not healed and a new layer of skin is not formed. However, some patients may not show any symptoms at all, as per WHO. Information in such cases is limited.
The Mpox virus spreads through close contact with a patient, contaminated items, or with infected animals. During pregnancy, the virus can be passed on to the fetus, or to the newborn after birth.
According to the WHO, Mpox is treated with supportive care for symptoms.
A global outbreak of Mpox clade IIb started in 2022 and continues in some African countries. As of August 2024, clade Ib has also been detected beyond Africa, the WHO says.
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Business NewsNewsIndia’s first Mpox clad 1 case in Kerala: Know symptoms of strain that sparked WHO public health emergency alert
First Published:23 Sep 2024, 09:53 PM IST
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