Kerala Confirms Mpox Case in 38-Year-Old Man Recently Returned from UAE

Kerala’s Health Department confirmed on September 18 that a 38-year-old man from Malappuram has tested positive for Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), as report published by the Mint.

The man, who had recently returned from the UAE, was admitted to a hospital in Malappuram after displaying symptoms of the virus, according to a Facebook update from Kerala’s Health Minister, Veena George. In her post, the minister urged the public to seek medical attention immediately if they experience any symptoms.

On Tuesday, George noted that the patient, after recognizing signs of Mpox, took precautions by isolating himself from his family. He is currently receiving treatment at Manjeri Medical College. His samples were sent for testing, and the results came back positive on Wednesday, according to the news report.

A local health official also confirmed the case, stating that the patient had been admitted to Manjeri Medical College shortly after his arrival in Kerala. Suspecting it could be Mpox, the patient’s samples were sent to Kozhikode Medical College for further testing, with results still pending at the time.

Meanwhile, a separate case of Mpox was reported last week from Haryana’s Hisar. A 26-year-old man tested positive for the virus and was admitted to LNJP Hospital in Delhi. The Union Health Ministry classified this as an isolated case, similar to the 30 cases previously reported in India since July 2022.

The ministry clarified that it is not involved in the ongoing public health emergency declared by the WHO concerning Mpox Clade 1. It confirmed that the Hisar patient’s infection was linked to the West African Clade-2 of the virus.

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