Second Mpox Case Confirmed In Kerala After UAE Returnee Tests Positive

Kerala has confirmed its second case of Mpox after a man returning from the UAE tested positive for the disease, caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV). The man is currently hospitalized in Ernakulam, with health department officials reporting that his condition is stable.

This follows the state's first case recorded just last week when a 38-year-old man from Malappuram, also returning from the UAE, was diagnosed with the infection.

Government sources indicate that this individual was confirmed to have the Clade 1B infection, marking the first instance of this specific clade in India. This clade is the same one that led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare Mpox a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern.'

State Health Minister Veena George has urged individuals returning to Kerala from abroad to seek medical attention if they exhibit any symptoms of Mpox. As a precautionary measure, the health department has set up isolation wards in 14 hospitals across the state in case the situation escalates.

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus. The virus has two primary clades: clade I, divided into subclades Ia and Ib, and clade II, which includes subclades IIa and IIb.