India's First Monkeypox Case Reported In Kerala
International Desk
A man who travelled from the UAE has tested positive for monkeypox in Kerala, state Health Minister Veena George said today. He landed at the Thiruvananthapuram airport and is "quite stable, with all vitals normal", she told the news agency ANI.
His primary contacts have also been identified, including his father, mother, a taxi driver, an auto driver, and 11 fellow passengers from adjacent seats, she added.
Monkeypox is a virus that causes fever symptoms besides a distinctive bumpy rashes. It is usually mild, though there are two main strains. The Congo strain, which is more severe, causes death in up to 10 per cent of the patients; and the West African strain, which has a fatality rate of around 1 per cent.
Two months ago, scientists were alarmed after a few cases of monkeypox — which occurs mostly in Africa's western and central regions — were reported or suspected in the United Kingdom, Portugal and Spain.
