ICMR conducting serosurvey to assess mpox risk in India

New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been conducting a serosurvey since last year to determine the exposure to mpox among India’s high-risk population, according to a scientist aware of the matter, even as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a global public emergency on Wednesday.

The ICMR already has an ongoing sentinel surveillance at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory to pick up mpox cases, the scientist said. The serosurvey, which requires testing blood samples for the presence of antibodies, has been undertaken to understand any past infections, and there are hardly any positive cases from these, the scientist said.

Also read | WHO declares Mpox a global public health emergency; ‘coordinated international response essential,’ says DG Tedros

Mpox is a self-limiting viral zoonotic infection (spreading between animals and humans) with symptoms like smallpox, but with less clinical severity. It causes painful skin lesions, fever, headaches and muscle aches.

Human-to-human transmission occurs mainly through large respiratory droplets requiring prolonged close contact. It can also be passed on through direct contact with body fluids or lesion material, and indirect contact with lesion material such as through contaminated clothing or linens of an infected person.

No new cases have been reported in India since the fresh outbreak in Congo. Till 24 July last year, 31 confirmed cases of mpox disease were detected in India, including 12 in Kerala and 15 in Delhi.

Queries emailed to the health ministry spokesperson remained unanswered till going to the press.

ICMR keeping a watch

In June 2022, ICMR researchers isolated the first strain of monkeypox—the WHO later began referring to it as “mpox” to reduce stigma around the disease—and invited expressions of interest from pharmaceutical companies and in-vitro diagnostic kit manufacturers to help develop a vaccine and testing kits for the virus.

“Serum Institute of India is working on an Mpox vaccine,” the scientist quoted earlier said.

Read more | Mpox: Key facts about monkeypox virus and how it transmits

Most cases detected till date have been mild and treatment for the disease remains largely supportive. According to the WHO, investigational drugs are used in some countries in clinical research settings only.

“The new mpox strain found in eastern Congo is not found in India right now,” a scientist at National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune said. “We have monkeypox advisories in places to take public health measures. There is nothing to panic as of now. The ICMR is reviewing the mpox case very closely and reviewing the international trend.”

Global threat

The latest upsurge in mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African nations prompted the WHO to declare it a public health emergency of international concern again. It was classified as a global emergency in July 2020, but the WHO lifted the alert in May 2023 after cases declined.

According to the WHO, the current upsurge 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. So far, 15 600 cases and 537 deaths have been reported.

Also read | Sweden reports first case of Mpox strain outside Africa amid global health emergency

“Mpox, originating in Africa, was neglected there, and later caused a global outbreak in 2022. It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself,” the WHO statement said.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency is working with countries and vaccine manufacturers on potential donations, and coordinating with partners to facilitate equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and other tools.