Monkeypox in India: How Kerala is working to prevent infection spread

India on Monday reported a second case of monkeypox found in a 31-year-old man who reached Kannur, Kerala from Dubai on July 13. India’s first monkeypox case was reported on July 14 after a 35-year-old man who returned from UAE tested positive.

Kerala’s Health minister Veena George said the condition of the second infected person was stable. He has been admitted to Government Medical College Hospital in Kannur. All his primary contacts are under observation, the minister said.

The Center sent a multi-disciplinary team to Kerala, which has been put on high-alert, to collaborate with state authorities to better implement public health measures.

Also Read | First case of Monkeypox reported in India: All you need to know

“To help country’s preparedness for Monkey Pox detection, 15 Virus Research & Diagnostic Laboratories across the country, which are geographically well distributed & strategically located, have already been trained in the diagnostic test by ICMR -NIV, Pune,” the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Twitter.

Guidelines for monkeypox in India states that international passengers should avoid close contact with sick people, contact with dead or live wild animals and others. International travelers were urged to avoid eating or preparing meat from wild game (bushmeat) or using products (creams, lotions, powders) derived from wild animals from Africa.

People traveling from countries affected should also avoid contact with contaminated materials used by sick people such as clothing, bedding or materials used in healthcare settings, or that came into contact with infected animals, the ministry’s guidelines said.

Also Read | What is monkeypox? All you need to know

Experts say that monkeypox virus mutates at a higher rate but it is treatable. Treatment of the infection varies depending on the symptoms. They said the infection starts with fever, headache and flu. When it turns acute, red lesions appear on the body and triggers itching like chicken pox. The incubation period of the virus ranges from five to 21 days.

WHO South-East Asia Regional Director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said over the weekend that the region is on alert for monkeypox and nations have been taking measures to rapidly detect and contain the spread of monkeypox.

Also Read | Monkeypox outbreak: 5 things to know about the disease

On Sunday, Andhra Pradesh suspected a case of monkeypox in a child who recently returned from Saudi Arabia. However, the blood samples of the two-year-old tested negative, the state’s health official said.