First case of monkeypox in Karnataka reported in Mangaluru as 40-year-old man from Dubai tests positive

A 40-year-old resident of Karkala taluk in Udupi district has been admitted to a hospital in Mangaluru with monkeypox.

The patient, a resident of Dubai for 19 years, exhibited symptoms after his arrival at Manglauru International Airport on January 17.

The patient was isolated at a private hospital, and his mpox samples were referred to the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute and subsequently to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. The NIV confirmed monkeypox on January 22.

Harsh Gupta, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, and Ansar Ahmed, Director of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, said in a statement that the patient was stable and did not have any serious complications. He is likely to be discharged shortly.

The patient’s 36-year-old wife, who received him at the airport has been identified as a primary contact. She has been advised isolation for a few days and watch for the development of any symptoms.

Mild in nature

While asking people not to panic following the reporting of the case, the officials said the disease was mild in nature. People had to watch for common symptoms associated with the disease like skin rashes along with fever, headache, muscle aches and chills, and get tested, especially if they had a travel history to countries declared as high risk for this virus or if they had been in very close contact with persons affected with mpox.

It is a mild self-limiting disease in most of the cases, except for a few immune compromised patients having comorbidities who need to exercise greater caution.

The treatment for the disease was medication for fever, bodyache, and antibiotics for secondary infection from infected lesions/rashes and ensuring sufficient hydration, nutrition, and rest.

The disease generally spreads only through very close and intimate contact. The infectivity of the disease was not as severe as that of COVID-19, said the officials.

At present there are no advisories or special instructions from the Government of India with regard to mandatory testing of travellers from other countries.