Haryana man with mpox admitted to Delhi hospital

A man who recently travelled from a country experiencing mpox transmission has tested positive for the disease, the Union health ministry said on Monday, stressing that it is an "isolated case" and there is no immediate risk to the public.

The 26-year-old patient, a resident of Haryana's Hisar, was admitted at Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital on Saturday and his condition is stable, a source at the health facility said.

The Union Health Ministry said that the previously suspected case of mpox has been verified as a travel-related infection. Laboratory testing has confirmed the presence of mpox virus of the West African clade-2 in the patient.

The ministry said that it is an isolated case, similar to the earlier 30 cases reported in India from July 2022 onwards. It is not a part of the current public health emergency reported by WHO which is regarding clade 1 of mpox, it underlined.

"The individual, a young male who recently travelled from a country experiencing ongoing mpox transmission, is currently isolated at a designated tertiary care isolation facility. The patient remains clinically stable and is without any systemic illness or comorbidities," the ministry said.

The case aligns with earlier risk assessments and continues to be managed according to established protocols, it said, adding that public health measures, including contact tracing and monitoring, are actively in place to ensure the situation is contained.

"There is no indication of any widespread risk to the public at this time," the health ministry stated.

In a post on X, the ministry said the patient is stable and there is no immediate risk to the public.

The World Health Organisation last month declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern for the second time in view of its prevalence and spread across many parts of Africa.

Talking about the patient admitted at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, a hospital source said that three Delhi government hospitals -- LNJP, GTB and Baba Saheb Ambedkar -- have set up isolation rooms for suspected and confirmed cases of the disease.

While LNJP has been designated as the nodal facility, two other hospitals are on standby.

The LNJP Hospital has a total of 20 isolation rooms for the patients, including 10 for confirmed cases.

The Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital and Baba Saheb Ambedkar will have 10 rooms each for such patients, with five rooms each for suspected cases.