Kerala reports fifth monkeypox case in 30-year-old UAE returnee; India's tally rises to seven

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala reported fifth case of monkeypox after a 30-year-old UAE returnee tested positive for the viral disease. State Health Minister Veena George said that the patient is undergoing treatment in Malappuram. “He had reached Kozhikode airport on July 27 from UAE,” Kerala Health Minister Veena George said. It is worth mentioning that the first confirmed death due to monkeypox virus in India was reported in Kerala. The state government confirmed that samples of a 22-year-old man, who died on 30 July, tested positive, making him the first monkeypox-related fatality. As many as 20 contacts of the deceased monkeypox patient, including family members, friends, a helper and those who played football with him are in the high-risk category and are under “self-observation” in the Thrissur district of Kerala. The total number of monkeypox cases in India has now increased to seven. Must Read: Monkeypox declared global health emergency by WHO after outbreak in over 70 countries Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). It announcement of highest alert level came after the infection has affected nearly 16,000 people in 72 countries, including India. Monkeypox symptoms Monkeypox symptoms include fever, body aches, chills, fatigue and the bumps on parts of the body. The illness has been relatively mild in many men and can be contagious for weeks. The lesions can be extremely painful. How does monkeypox virus spreads? Monkeypox spreads mainly through skin-to-skin contact. The virus can also be transmitted through linens used by a monkeypox patient. It has been moving through the population like a sexually transmitted disease, but officials have been looking into other types of spread that could expand the outbreak. How to protect yourself from getting monkeypox? Exercising caution is the first and foremost step for preventing yourself from getting infected. The CDC has advised people to be alert in situations where one can’t maintain some sense of personal space and bumping into others is impractical. In places where clothing is minimal and you could experience that contact, such as crowded raves and clubs, the risk goes up. Also, people have been advised to clean and disinfect environments that could have been contaminated with the virus from someone who is infectious regularly. If you are showing any symptoms of monkeypox, seek medical advice and isolate yourself and protect others from getting infected and thereby, restricting the spread of the virus. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.