BENGALURU: The test report of a middle-aged Ethiopian, who had come to Bengaluru in early July and was suspected to have monkeypox symptoms, has returned negative. His report confirmed that it is a case of chickenpox, said Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar.
The African had arrived from Ethiopia on July 4 to undergo a kidney transplant at a private hospital in Bengaluru. He was undergoing dialysis and pre-transplant evaluations. As he showed symptoms of monkeypox, including lesions, samples of his blood and skin lesions were sent to NIV Pune through the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory of BMCRI on Thursday evening. He was isolated and treated at the same private hospital, health department sources said.
His brother and a female cousin too are being monitored. No other samples of suspected cases have been received from any part of the state at VRDL, sources added. Asked about the Ethiopian contracting chickenpox, sources said that since he is suffering from a kidney issue and is undergoing dialysis, his immune system would be weak. He might have contracted chickenpox earlier in his life and the virus would have manifested now, they added.
This is the second suspect case of monkeypox in the state and tests of both are negative. Earlier, the report of another person from Bengaluru with a travel history to the UK had come back negative. Dr Sudhakar said that all symptomatic travellers arriving from monkeypox-affected countries to Bengaluru and Mangaluru international airports are being screened for fever, chills, sweats, lymph node swelling, headache, muscle ache, exhaustion, sore throat, cough, or skin rashes, and they are isolated and tested.