Monkeypox first case reported in India's Kerala

Kerala on Thursday reported India’s first case of monkeypox after a traveller from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) showed symptoms and got admitted to the hospital after arriving four days ago. His samples, sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for testing, returned positive today.

State health minister Veena George said earlier in the day that the person subjected himself for treatment after a close contact in the UAE was detected with the zoonotic disease. She said the person has been isolated and kept under close observation.

“There is no need to panic. Experts said treatment is symptomatic and it spreads through close contact of the infected. We will get a clear picture after NIV examination,” she said earlier today, adding that the person has not come into contact with many people since his



arrival.

A senior official in the state health department said tests at local laboratories confirmed the presence of virus in the patient, but the samples were sent to NIV to be doubly sure, as is the protocol laid down by the Union health ministry.

Experts said monkeypox virus mutates at a fast rate, but is treatable once the symptoms start showing. They said the infection starts with fever, headache and flu, but an acute bout of it makes the patient experience red lesions on the body and itchiness like chicken pox. They said the incubation period of the virus ranges from five to 21 days.

“It is not a fatal virus but the only concern is that it has a high mutation rate. Human-to-human infection rate is also not that high like Covid-19. It gets transmitted to only those who come in close contact with the infected,” said Dr NM Arun, a public health expert.