38-year-old man in Malappuram tests positive for Mpox, under treatment

New Delhi: A 38-year-old man in Malappuram district has contracted Monkey Pox, Kerala’s health minister Veena George has confirmed, The Wire reported.

The minister said in a Facebook post that the man, who returned to the state from the UAE recently, was already admitted to a hospital in the district with Mpox symptoms.

Requesting people to inform the health authorities and seek treatment at the earliest, the minister added that man in Malappuram had isolated himself as a precautionary measure after noticing symptoms, CNBC reported.

It is reported that he is currently hospitalised in the Manjeri Medical College and the disease was confirmed positive on Wednesday after testing his samples.

The man reportedly visited a dermatologist complaining of skin rashes and fever and he had been subsequently isolated.

Monkey Pox was widely reported in several countries leading the WHO to declare the outbreak a ‘public health emergency of international concern’ (PHEIC) last month.

PHEIC is the highest of level alert but not close to a ‘pandemic’.

The government of India increased monitoring at airports but termed the overall risk from the disease low.

Mpox spreads through close contact including skin-to-skin contact with the infected person.

It is reported that those with multiple sexual partners, especially men having sex with men, are at higher risk.

As the clade 1b of the Mpox virus is reportedly causing outbreak as of August 2024, it is not known what clade of the Mpox virus the man from Kerala was infected with.

Another person from Delhi was confirmed positive on September 9 after having infected with with clade 2b, which is not widely in circulation now.