On July 15, the country had reported its first monkeypox case in Kerala. A Kerala resident who had returned to UAE was found with symptoms of the virus. His samples were sent to the virology lab in Pune which confirmed the infection.
India’s second monkeypox case has been reported in Kerala’s Kannur district, the state health department said.
The 31-year-old person landed at the Mangalore airport in coastal Karnataka from Dubai on July 13. He was admitted to a hospital after he exhibited symptoms of the disease. His samples were sent to NIV Pune and they tested positive for monkeypox, the officials said.
On July 15, the country had reported its first monkeypox case in Kerala. A Kerala resident who had returned to UAE was found with symptoms of the virus. His samples were sent to the virology lab in Pune which confirmed the infection.
The Kerala government said it has intensified preventive measures in the state after the first monkeypox infection was confirmed in the country, state health minister Veena Goerge had said.
The minister had said that the health department is observing those patients with chickenpox or similar symptoms to ensure that they don’t have monkeypox, PTI had reported.
“The surveillance at the airport will be intensified. As part of it, the Health Department will hold discussions with the airport authorities. If anyone found with symptoms, steps will be taken to isolate them and ambulances have been arranged to shift them to hospitals,” Minister said in a release, adding that the training for monkeypox prevention is being held in a comprehensive manner and more 1,200 health workers had been trained.
“The health condition of the patient who was confirmed with the infection is stable. No one else has been diagnosed with the disease yet. All his contacts are under observation. The Health Department is constantly in touch with his contacts and speaks to them twice a day over phone to enquire about their mental and physical health,” she said.
