Kerala has picked up a third case of monkeypox, again in a traveller from United Arab Emirates, who reached the State on July 6.
Health Minister, Veena George, said that monkeypox infection was confirmed in a 35-year-old in Malappuram district.
The individual had arrived from UAE on July 6 and he developed fever on July 13. And by July 15, he developed rashes, following which he was isolated and samples sent for testing and confirmation.
He is currently in isolation and treatment at Manjeri Government Medical College hospital and his general condition is satisfactory. His close contacts have been put under the surveillance network of the Health department.
This is the third case of monkeypox in the country and all three cases were detected by Kerala in international travellers .
The first case surfaced on July 14, in a Kollam native, who had arrived at Thiruvananthapuram international airport from UAE. The second case was detected at Kannur four days later on July 18, again in a passenger from UAE.
Both these men are also under isolation and treatment . None of the close contacts isolated have tested positive for the virus so far
Kerala had readied a surveillance action plan as soon as the first case was detected and at present, all districts are on high alert against any fever with rashes, especially since this has also been the season of tropical fevers with measles, chicken pox, hand foot and mouth disease, dengue, scrub typhus cases being reported from many districts.
However, as far as monkeypox is concerned, the focus is almost solely on international arrivals.
Help desks have been set up at airports and in the community, health workers have been asked to be on the lookout for “suspect cases”, especially if the person had travelled to any of the countries where monkeypox has been reported, in the last 21 days.
