Pune: ICMR-NIV reveals Monkeypox virus strain A.2 in two UAE-returned travellers

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The Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology on Friday analysed two monkeypox cases of travellers who had returned from the UAE.

The analysis showed that two cases were infected with monkeypox virus strain A.2 which is related to the lineage of hMPXV-1A clade 3.

"The complete genome sequences obtained from skin lesions of cases 1 and 2 showed similarity of 99.91 and 99.96 per cent respectively with MPXV_USA_2022_FL001 West African clade," read the ICMR-NIV study

"Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the two cases were infected with Monkeypox virus strain A.2 which belong to hMPXV-1A lineage of clade 3," it added.

The study also mentioned the details about both the cases where a 35-year-old male and 31-year-old male from UAE tested positive for Monkeypox. Both the cases had no traces of sexual contact.

The background of the first male revealed a history of similar lesions amongst his friends and contact with a suspected Monkeypox case.

"Case 1, a 35-year, male, resident of UAE had developed low-grade fever and myalgia on July 5 2022. On the next day, he developed multiple vesicular rashes in the oral cavity and lips followed by a single lesion on the genital organ. The lesions were umbilicated with the size 0.5 to 0.8 cm," the study explained the history of the first case.

Another case of a 32-year-old male from Dubai, UAE travelled to his hometown Kerala on July 13, 2022, and tested positive for Monkeypox.

"A 31-year male in Dubai, UAE had developed dysuria and genital swelling on July 8, 2022. On the next day, he developed fever with chills, myalgia, backache and headache," the study stated.

As per the research, he developed multiple vesicular rashes on the genital organ and on both hands on July 10, 2022. The lesions progressed and later spread to the face, back, neck and forearm with cervical lymphadenopathy by July 15, 2022.

"He did not have any co-morbidity and denied any sexual or physical contact with suspected or confirmed MPXV case," it added.

Samples from multiple sites (lesion fluid, lesion roof and lesion base) of both the cases were collected on the ninth post-onset day of illness i.e., July 13, 2022, and July 16, 2022, respectively. Further, they were referred to the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for emerging and re-emerging diseases, ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune, India for the MPXV diagnosis.

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