Mpox infection confirmed in man undergoing treatment in Kerala’s Malappuram

A case of Mpox has been confirmed in a 38-year-old man in Kerala’s Malappuram, health officials said on Wednesday.
The patient, who recently returned from Dubai, exhibited symptoms of the disease and was admitted to the Government Medical College hospital in Malappuram. His samples were sent for testing, which subsequently confirmed the Mpox infection.
On Tuesday, Kerala health minister Veena George told reporters that the man was isolated at home upon his return and took precautionary measures.
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A district health official said that the patient arrived in Kerala a few days ago and, after falling sick, was first admitted to a private hospital.
“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,” PTI quoted the official as saying.
Mpox, a viral illness related to smallpox, is characterised by skin rashes, fever, and flu-like symptoms. It spreads through close skin-to-skin contact and can be self-limiting, though in some cases, it can be fatal.
Kerala has been on alert for Mpox since August following the World Health Organization’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The state had previously reported cases of the disease in 2022.
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A new case of Mpox was reported last week from Delhi after a 26-year-old resident of Haryana’s Hisar tested positive for the virus and was admitted to Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital. The Union health ministry categorised it as an isolated case, similar to the previous 30 cases reported in India since July 2022.
The 26-year-old from Hisar was infected with the West African clade-2 of the Mpox virus. The ministry said this case was not related to the current public health emergency declared by the WHO due to the prevalence of clade 1 Mpox in various parts of Africa.