A suspected case of mpox has been reported in Kerala’s Malappuram district, following the hospitalization of a man who recently returned from abroad and began showing symptoms of the disease. The patient, who arrived in Kerala a few days ago, was initially admitted to a private hospital and later transferred to Manjeri Medical College after doctors suspected monkeypox.
According to a district health official, the man’s samples have been sent to Kozhikode Medical College for testing, and the results are awaited. “From there, he was admitted to the Manjeri Medical College. On suspecting that it might be a case of monkeypox, we sent his samples to Kozhikode Medical College for testing,” the official said.
This development comes just a week after a new monkeypox case was confirmed in Delhi, where a 26-year-old man from Haryana’s Hisar tested positive for the virus. The Union Health Ministry described the Delhi case as isolated and not part of the current public health emergency declared by the World Health Organization (WHO), which concerns a different clade of the virus.
The WHO declared monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in light of its continued spread, particularly across parts of Africa. The virus, transmitted through prolonged close contact, usually manifests with fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes, and most cases are self-limiting, lasting two to four weeks.
Meanwhile, Malappuram has been on high alert due to a recent Nipah outbreak. Containment zones have been established in the district following the death of a 24-year-old due to Nipah virus on September 9. Authorities are closely monitoring both monkeypox and Nipah infections as part of Kerala’s ongoing public health efforts.