– World Health Organization has declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern due to a new strain of the virus in Africa
– Mpox is a zoonotic illness, originating in animals and transmitting to humans
– Clinical symptoms are similar to smallpox, with severe cases leading to death
– New strain of Mpox, Clade B1, has spread rapidly in Africa with more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths reported
– India is monitoring the outbreak, with health teams at airports being sensitized and labs equipped for testing
– Serum Institute of India is working on a vaccine in collaboration with ICMR