New Delhi: Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday said in the Rajya Sabha that a total of 8 cases of monkeypox have been reported in India.
Briefing the House over the steps taken by the government to create awareness, Mandaviya said that out of the eight cases, five had travelled abroad.
According to a source, Delhi reported the third confirmed case of monkeypox, raising the tally to 8 nationwide. The source added that a foreign national with no recent travel history has tested positive for monkeypox. This is the third case of monkeypox in Delhi.
However, one patient with monkeypox was discharged from Delhi’s nodal hospital for monkeypox treatment, LNJP hospital, on Monday night.
Asked about the progress of vaccines for the disease, the minister said studies are still being conducted to find proper vaccination for the disease.
On steps taken to create awareness about monkeypox, Mandaviya said that the government has set up a task force and measures are also being taken to increase awareness about the disease.
He also urged the people not to panic as the Central government has been coordinating with the state governments to control the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, Kerala also reported another confirmed case of monkeypox on Tuesday. This is the fifth case, State Health Minister Veena George said.
“A 30-year-old man presently under treatment in Malappuram has tested positive for the virus. He arrived from abroad on July 27 and landed at the Kozhikode airport. His contacts, including his parents and two of his friends, have been isolated,” said George.
While one positive patient for monkeypox has fully recovered and discharged, three others are convalescing in a hospital where their condition is stable.
However, the first monkeypox case death was reported in Thrissur on Monday, and the health authorities are now studying the case to see if the information was withheld when he arrived in the state last month.
After arriving, he had reportedly played football with his friend the next day. Twenty-one of his immediate contacts have been asked to isolate themselves and are being monitored.
— IANS
