India’s first Monkeypox case confirmed in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: India’s first case of monkeypox was confirmed in Kerala on Thursday. The disease was diagnosed in a 35-year-old man from Kollam. He arrived in Kerala from UAE on July 12. The disease was confirmed after testing the sample sent to the Pune Institute of Virology.

The infected person had come into contact with another confirmed case in the UAE and had contact with 11 other people after arriving in Kerala. All the people who came in direct contact including father, mother and the taxi driver are under observation.

“There is no need to panic. According to the patient, he was not in close contact with persons other than his family members and the two drivers. The state health department has already upped its ante against the disease”, the health minister said.

“Other than anxiety, the patient is having no other major health problems at this poin,” she added.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization reported a 77 percent increase in monkeypox cases in seven days. As of Monday, 6,027 monkey pox cases have been confirmed in 59 countries. There has been an increase of 2,614 cases since June 27, when the World Health Organization last reported.