The Kerala state health department is closely monitoring a 38-year-old mpox patient from Malappuram, along with 71 individuals identified as having been in contact with him. District Medical Officer (DMO) R Renuka confirmed that no significant changes have been made to the treatment protocol after it was confirmed that the patient is infected with the clade 1b strain of the virus, which is more transmissible than clade 2.
The patient is currently being treated at the Government Medical College Hospital in Manjeri, and his condition is reported to have improved, the New Indian Express reported.
According to DMO Renuka, the contact list includes 29 people from Malappuram, 37 fellow passengers on an Air India Express flight from Dubai to Kozhikode, and five close contacts in Dubai. All are in self-isolation, and none have shown symptoms so far.
The clade 1b strain, responsible for outbreaks in Africa, has a higher transmission rate. A health official in Malappuram explained that this strain spreads not only through physical contact but also via droplets from talking or laughing, with a higher mortality rate than other variants, the report further stated.
The patient’s samples will be retested when appropriate, and if results are negative, steps will be taken to discharge him from the hospital.