Kochi: India's second case of monkeypox has been confirmed and has been traced to Kerala's Kannur district.
A 31-year-old man who hails from Kannur was diagnosed with symptoms of monkeypox on July 18 after he returned from Dubai.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that the patient is undergoing treatment at the Pariyaram Medical College and added that his health condition is stable.
The health minister further said that all close contacts of the 31-year-old patient are being closely monitored.
Meanwhile, India's first case of monkeypox was detected in Kerala's Kollam district on July 14.
The Union Health Ministry issued guidelines for the management of Monkeypox diseases after the first case was detected.
According to the guidelines released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, international passengers should avoid close contact with sick people including those with skin lesions and genital lesions, and avoid contact with dead or live wild animals such as small mammals including rodents (rats, squirrels) and non-human primates (monkeys, apes).
The guidelines also advised international travellers to refrain from consuming or preparing meat from bushmeat or using products such as creams and lotions derived from wild animals from Africa.
Moreover, the guidelines also suggested refraining from coming in contact with contaminated materials used by sick people (such as clothing, bedding, or materials used in healthcare settings) or that came into contact with infected people.
The health ministry has also recommended that people consult the nearest health facility if symptoms indicative of monkeypox have been developed, like fever with rash.
As per the WHO, over 6,000 cases of monkeypox and three deaths have been reported across 60 countries since the beginning of the year. More cases can be expected as surveillance expands, it said.
Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and the subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health.
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