Kerala reports 5th monkeypox case, brings India’s tally to 7

A 30 year-old man, who came to Kerala from UAE last month, has tested positive for monkeypox, making him the fifth case of the virus from the southern state.

Health Minister Veena George on Tuesday said the man had arrived at the Calicut Airport on July 27 and was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Malappuram district.

His health condition is stable, she said.

Those who were in close contact with him, including his parents, are being closely monitored.

It is the fifth case of Monkeypox reported in the state, she said.

The first patient was discharged and the condition of others was stable, the minister added.

India confirmed its first monkeypox death on Monday, possibly also marking the first death from the disease in Asia.

Samples of the 22-year-old man, who died in Kerala on July 30, have come out positive for monkeypox on Monday, official sources said.

The man had recently returned from the UAE where his samples also tested positive for the disease, sources said.

Apparently, his samples were taken in the UAE on July 19 and he returned to India on July 21 and was admitted to a hospital in Thrissur on July 27.

His samples were sent for testing to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune.

A task force on monkeypox has been constituted to closely monitor the emerging situation in the country and decide on response initiatives to tackle the spread of the disease, official sources said on Monday.

It will also provide guidance to the government on expansion of diagnostic facilities in the country and explore emerging trends related to vaccination for the disease, the sources told PTI.

According to the WHO, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis — a virus transmitted to humans from animals — with symptoms similar to smallpox, although clinically less severe.

Monkeypox typically manifests itself with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications. It is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting for two to four weeks.