First mpox case confirmed in Kerala — man who landed from UAE last week
Health Minister Veena George urges that people who return from abroad seek treatment if they develop symptoms of the disease
2 min read
Isolation wards have been made ready at 14 hospitals in Kerala, including medical colleges, to tackle any escalation in the situation. (File)
A 38-year-old youth who landed in Kerala last week from the UAE was on Wednesday diagnosed with Mpox, an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV).
The youth was admitted to the government medical college hospital in Malappuram’s Manjeri on Monday after he developed symptoms of the disease.
Health Minister Veena George Wednesday said the samples collected from him were tested at the virology lab at government medical college hospital in Kozhikode. She urged that all those who return from abroad seek treatment if they develop Mpox symptoms.
Isolation wards have been made ready at 14 hospitals in Kerala, including medical colleges, to tackle any escalation in the situation.
The youth had reached home at Othayi village in Malappuram last week. After he developed symptoms, he initially went into self-quarantine at home and stopped interacting with anyone.
Last week, a patient with suspected Mpox symptoms had been admitted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital.
Mpox was declared a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’ — the highest level of alert by the World Health Organization — last month.
After the WHO alert, experts assessed the risk of the infection in India and said there was a possibility of a few imported cases but the threat of a large outbreak with sustained transmission was low.
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