Suspected Monkeypox case in Karnataka turns out to be Chickenpox

A day after a 35-year-old man from Kollam in Kerala, India's first Monkeypox patient, was discharged after recovery from Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram, a suspected Monkeypox case in Bengaluru was clarified to be Chickenpox on Sunday. India has around five cases of Monkeypox now.

Karnataka health minister K Sudhakar tweeted on Sunday: "A middle-aged Ethiopian citizen who had come to Bengaluru earlier this month was subjected to a Monkeypox test after he was suspected to have Monkeypox symptoms. His report has now confirmed that it is a case of Chickenpox."

Chhavi Gupta, consultant - infectious diseases at Fortis Hospital, told ET that there were some crucial differences between Monkeypox and Chickenpox. "In Monkeypox, the initial symptoms are fatigue, fever, headache and weakness followed by rashes, unlike Chickenpox where the rashes begin with the trunk and spread to hands and legs, and palms and soles are not involved. The rashes pattern is centripetal while in Monkeypox it is centrifugal starting with faces, going to arms. Palms and soles are involved here. In Monkeypox there are swollen lymph nodes that are not found in Chickenpox. The rashes in monkeypox take longer to heal, and the person is infectious for two weeks."