A 31-year-old man from Kannur in Kerala tested positive for monkeypox on Monday, making him the country’s second confirmed case, according to a Union health ministry official.

On July 13, the patient arrived at Mangalore airport in coastal Karnataka from Dubai. He was admitted to the hospital after exhibiting disease symptoms. According to the official, his samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune and tested positive for the virus.

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Veena George, Kerala’s minister of health, reported that the second affected person’s status was stable. He is now a patient at Kannur’s Government Medical College Hospital. The minister indicated that all of his main contacts are being watched.

The Union Health Ministry dispatched a high-level multi-disciplinary team to Kerala last week to assist state health authorities in implementing public health measures following the discovery of the first confirmed case of monkeypox in the Kollam district on Thursday.

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The first case of Monkeypox in India was reported few days ago in Kerala. The man was travelling back from the UAE. 

The virus, which is common in Africa, causes fever as well as distinctive bumpy rashes. Although the illness is usually treatable, one of two strains is particularly dangerous. As a result of the Congo strain, up to 10% of patients die. The West African strain is gentler, with a 1% mortality rate.

Scientists were taken aback two months ago when a few cases of monkeypox were reported or suspected in the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Spain. Monkeypox is a rare disease that only occurs in Africa’s western and central regions.

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International travellers should avoid direct contact with ill persons, interaction with dead or live wild animals, and other things according to guidelines for monkeypox in India.

International travellers were advised to stay away from utilising items (creams, lotions, powders) made from wild animals from Africa as well as eating or cooking meat from wild game (bushmeat).