case of monkeypox in indiaKerala: India’s first case of monkeypox has been reported on Thursday, state Health Minister Veena George has confirmed this. He said that a person who returned from abroad has been admitted to a hospital in Kerala after he showed symptoms of monkeypox.
The Health Minister said that the patient is a traveler from the UAE. “He reached the state on July 12. He reached the Trivandrum airport and all steps are being taken as per the guidelines issued by WHO and ICMR,” George said. He said that the patient is stable now.
“Kerala health department has issued guidelines on monkey pox. The patient is quite stable, and all vitals are normal,” she said.
He said the patient’s primary contacts have been identified – his father, mother, taxi driver, auto driver and 11 passengers of the same flight who were in the adjacent seats. “There is nothing to worry or worry about. All steps are being taken and the patient is stable.”
Following the news of the virus being detected, the Union Health Ministry said that it would deploy a multi-disciplinary central team to investigate the outbreak and support the Kerala government in setting up necessary health measures.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (virus transmitted from animals to humans) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in patients with smallpox, although it is clinically less severe.
With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and the subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health.
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