India’s 1st monkeypox case reported in Kerala; Centre sends high-level team

The Union health ministry on Thursday rushed a multi-disciplinary team to Kerala to support the state health authorities after the first case of monkeypox in India was reported from Kerala.

The Central team comprises experts from the National Center for Disease Control, RML Hospital and senior officials from the health ministry along with experts from the regional office of health & family welfare, Kerala.

A person who returned to Kerala from abroad and was hospitalised after showing signs of monkeypox tested positive for the disease, Kerala health minister Veena George said.

The authorities will be working with the state health departments and take stock of the situation and recommend necessary public health interventions. The government has been monitoring the situation and coordinating with states in case of any such possibility of outbreaks.

Since January 1 this year, the World Health Organization has reported 3,413 confirmed cases of monkeypox and one death in 50 countries indicating an increase in the spread of cases globally, union health secretary, Rajesh Bhushan, said in a letter to the states. This was to alert the state disease surveillance teams and screening teams at the point of entry. States have been asked to isolate patients till all the Monkeypox lesions have resolved and scabs have completely fallen off. States have been told to identify hospitals that would be equipped to manage suspect or confirmed cases of Monkeypox.

Meanwhile, the country reported 20,139 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday taking the active case load to 1,36,076 with the weekly positivity rate at 4.37% and daily positivity rate at 5.10%.

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