A suspected case of monkeypox has emerged in Malappuram district, Kerala, involving a man who recently returned from abroad and exhibited symptoms of the disease. According to a district health official, the patient was admitted to a private hospital shortly after his arrival in Kerala, where he began showing signs of illness.
"From there he was admitted to the Manjeri Medical College. On suspecting that it might be a case of monkeypox, we sent his samples to the Kozhikode Medical College for testing. The results are awaited," the official said.
Last week, a new monkeypox (Mpox) case was reported in the national capital after a 26-year-old resident of Hisar, Haryana, tested positive and was admitted to Delhi’s LNJP Hospital. The Union Health Ministry has classified this as an isolated incident, consistent with the 30 previous cases reported in India since July 2022. The Ministry clarified that this case does not fall under the current public health emergency declared by the WHO, which pertains to clade 1 of mpox. Instead, the Hisar resident tested positive for the West African clade-2 of the mpox virus.
Last month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for the second time due to its widespread prevalence across various parts of Africa. Mpox infections are generally self-limiting, lasting between two to four weeks, and patients typically recover with supportive care. Transmission occurs through prolonged and close contact with an infected individual. Symptoms usually include fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes, and can lead to various medical complications.
The suspected case of monkeypox in Kerala has emerged amid the establishment of containment zones in Malappuram district, following the recent death of a 24-year-old from Nipah virus infection.