Yet another case of the dreaded Mpox virus, the second case in Kerala, whose strain was still to be ascertained, was confirmed in Kerala on Friday after an Ernakulam native tested positive for the virus.
It is the third case being reported in the country after WHO declared Mpox a public health emergency. The infected person, a 26-year-old man is admitted to a hospital in Kochi and his condition is said to be stable.
Reports claimed that the infected person, was found to have symptoms during screening at the airport and was from there itself shifted to the hospital.
It may be mentioned that the first case of mpox virus was confirmed in Kerala’s Malappuram on September 18, after a 38-year-old man who recently returned to the state from UAE tested positive for the virus.
Interestingly, the first case was detected on September 18, just two days after the same district reported a case of the Nipah virus, which led to the death of a postgraduate student, bringing the total Nipah-related deaths in the state to 22.
The Union Health Ministry issued an advisory on Thursday to all states and union territories in the view of mpox infection and asked to maintain measures against the virus.
Earlier, Kerala Health minister Veena George, who held a review meeting, urged that all those who returned from abroad should seek immediate medical attention in case of any illness.
The health department has prepared isolation wards in 14 hospitals in Kerala to tackle the situation in case of more cases being detected . The department has also issued an advisory warning against the spread of mpox infection. The advisory highlights that the clinical presentation of mpox clade I in adults is similar to that of clade II, but clade I infections may carry a higher risk of complications.
The advisory, issued on September 26, 2024, directs isolation of suspected mpox cases and the enforcement of strict infection prevention and control measures.
The department has also provided protocols for clinical management, infection prevention practices, and a risk communication strategy, along with a list of laboratories equipped for testing.
