A 35-year-old man who had arrived in Kerala from UAE earlier this month has tested positive for the Monkeypox virus. The state’s health minister Veena George said the patient’s health condition was stable, and those who had been in close contact with him were being monitored.
Kerala has already reported two cases, and the current case takes the number of infected to three. The first case was registered in Kollam, and the second in the Kannur district.
Should you worry?
While fever, chills, exhaustion, and similar symptoms aren’t necessarily easy to observe, the body rash is hard to miss. However, the symptoms might be seen 1-2 weeks after the infection, so practicing a safe distance from travelers coming from an infected area is a good idea.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Monkeypox is genetically similar to Smallpox, and the latter’s vaccine may be used against the former. The same goes for medicines.
Both types of Monkeypox, the West African and Congo Basin types, are rarely fatal.
Since Monkeypox is zoonotic, the disease can spread between animals and people, but it hasn’t happened during the 2003 outbreak, notes the CDC.