Is India Ready for Mpox After WHO Declares It a Global Health Emergency?

World Health Organization declared mpox a global health emergency due to its rising cases in Africa and Europe. India is also under the impact and now both central and state governments are ready to take action and prevention measures. High-level meetings are being held, and new guidelines are being issued to prevent the virus from spreading.

Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda led a crucial meeting with officials from the Ministry of Health, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on saturday, to assess the situation in our nation.

With the WHO sounding a global alarm, is India at risk of a viral outbreak? Here’s how India is gearing up to tackle the virus.

Has India Faced Mpox Cases Before?

It is a very general question what everyone will think, so the answer is yes! India’s encounter with mpox began in 2022 with its first recorded case in Kerala, involving a traveler from the UAE who tested positive for the virus. The virus quickly spread within the country with cases reported in Delhi among individuals with no recent international travel history. 

What the Monkey Pox- (MPox) Is?

Mpox is a zoonotic infection. It has two strains: more severe clade I and the less deadly clade II. According to WHO data in the year of 2022 India reported 27 confirmed cases and one death. By July 24, the number of confirmed cases had risen to 31, with 12 in Kerala and 15 in Delhi. According to health ministry sources most recent case in India was reported in March of this year from Kerala.

While India has not reported any new mpox cases during the current global spread which has affected over 100 countries, experts remain vigilant. 

Professor Dimie Ogoina, Chair of the IHR Emergency Committee said in a warning node, “The current upsurge of mpox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain, is an emergency not only for Africa but for the entire globe.” He emphasized the need for decisive action to prevent a repeat of the 2022 global outbreak.

What Measures Is India Taking This Time of Global Emergency?

In response to the global mpox situation India is boosting its preventive measures. The health ministry issued advisories to major entry points, including airports and seaports, instructing them to remain vigilant and manage suspected cases effectively.

In Tamil Nadu, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH) has already heightened its alert levels. Airport and Port Health Officers are focusing on passengers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African countries. Hyderabad and New Delhi, cities with significant African student populations, have also been placed on heightened alert.

ICMR has been conducting a serosurvey since last year to assess mpox exposure among high-risk populations in India.

Smallpox Vaccine to Prevent Mpox?

Although there are no vaccines specifically targeting mpox, existing vaccines for smallpox and chickenpox may offer protection in India. 

According to Dr. Satish Koul who is Senior Director of Internal Medicine at Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram, these vaccines could be effective against mpox due to the close relationship between smallpox and mpox viruses.

Concerns are rising in India as three cases of the mpox virus have been reported in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. 

However, experts suggest that the risk of a significant surge in mpox infections in India remains low. “At the moment, the risk of a surge in monkeypox infection is very low in India, and there is no need to panic,” a source told PTI.

Echoing this sentiment, a scientist at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune told Livemint, “The new mpox strain found in eastern Congo is not present in India right now. We have monkeypox advisories in place and are taking public health measures. There is nothing to panic about at this stage. The ICMR is closely monitoring the situation and reviewing international trends.”