India's first monkeypox patient 'completely cured'
Premium- Confirming the same, Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday said the man would be discharged later in the day
Amid the growing concerns over monkeypox, a Kerala man, who was India's first patient infected with the virus, has recovered from the disease. The 35-year old was being treated at a Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram.
Confirming the same, Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Saturday said the man would be discharged later in the day.
George further said that tests were conducted twice on him at an interval of 72 hours as per the instructions of the National Institute of Virology (NIV), as it was the first case of monkeypox in the country.
"All samples were negative twice. The patient is physically and mentally healthy. The skin bumps are completely cured. He will be discharged today," she said.
The Kerala Health Minister also added that the test results of his family members, who were in the primary contact list with him, are also negative.
Currently, the health condition of two other persons, who had also tested positive for the infection, remains satisfactory, the minister said, adding prevention and surveillance measures would be continued with the same vigour.
The Kollam native, who had returned to the state from abroad and was hospitalised after showing symptoms of monkeypox, tested positive for the disease on 14 July.
Notably, India has reported four cases of monkeypox till now, of which three cases are from Kerala while one is from New Delhi. Following this, the central government is on an alert even as the count of infections in some other countries has risen.
NITI Aayog's member (Health) Dr VK Paul said that there is absolutely no need for any panic as the government has taken significant measures to keep the disease in check.
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 World Health Organization (WHO), more than 18,000 cases have been reported from 78 countries and there have been five reported deaths so far.
With agency inputs
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