India’s health ministry said on Sunday that the country has suspected a man who had recently travelled to a country where the virus is spreading.
The ministry added that the patient is currently in isolation in a hospital and his condition is stable.
The ministry did not specify the strain of the virus he was infected with, but it is conducting tests to verify whether he has the disease.
Monkeypox is spread by close contact, and the disease is usually not severe and rarely causes death. Its symptoms resemble influenza, with blisters appearing on the body.
“The case is being handled in line with existing protocols, and contact tracing is underway to identify potential sources and assess the impact within the country,” the ministry said.
Last month, The Hindu daily reported that the country was on alert after a new strain of monkeypox broke out in Africa.
The World Health Organization has declared monkeypox a global public health emergency after detecting the new strain of the virus.
India detected 30 cases of an older strain, known as sublineage 2, between 2022 and March 2024.