New Delhi: Kerala reported the first confirmed case of monkeypox on Thursday, according to news agency ANI. As per the report, Kerala Health Minister Veena George, confirming the news, said the person is a traveller from UAE and he had reached Trivandrum airport on July 12. The minister further said that all required steps are being taken as per the guidelines issued by WHO and ICMR.
As per the ANI report, minister Veena George said that the patient is quite stable and all the vitals are normal. The primary contacts have been identified - his father, mother, taxi driver, auto driver, and 11 passengers of the same flight who were in adjacent seats.
She added that the Kerala Health Department has issued guidelines on Monkeypox and urged the people not to worry or be anxious.
Meanwhile, following the Monkeypox case in Kerala, Union Health Ministry will deploy a multi-disciplinary Central team to support the state government in probing the outbreak and instituting requisite health measures, as per the ANI report.
According to WHO, Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis, that is a virus that is transmitted to humans from animals, with symptoms similar to those seen in smallpox. However, Monkeypox is clinically less severe than smallpox, as per WHO.