Kerala mpox cases linked mainly to UAE travel

Cases from Kerala’s 2024 mpox outbreak have been linked primarily to international travel from the United Arab Emirates, according to a genetic analysis.

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus. Common symptoms include a skin rash or lesions in the mucous membranes that can last two to four weeks, along with fever, headache and muscle or back pain, low energy and swollen lymph



nodes.

Researchers, including those from the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology in Pune, analysed 10 lab-confirmed cases of Mpox virus (MPXV) Clade Ib strain reported from September 2024 to March 2025.

Findings of the first in-depth analysis of clinical and genomic characteristics of the Clade Ib strain, published in the journal Virology, showed seven of the 10 individuals had a history of travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).