India has reported its first case of the new, highly transmissible mpox strain, Clade 1b, in a 38-year-old man from Kerala who recently returned from Dubai. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a global health alert, as this variant has been linked to outbreaks in Africa and other countries, including Sweden and Pakistan.

The patient is undergoing treatment, while health authorities are monitoring 66 people he came in contact with, though no symptoms have been reported so far. This new strain is considered more infectious than the previously dominant Clade 2 strain. India has issued a health advisory, with 35 labs set up for testing across the country.