MANGALURU: A case of monkeypox (Mpox) has been confirmed by the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, in a 40-year-old man from Mangaluru, a native of Karkala in Udupi district.
The patient, who has been residing in Dubai for the past 19 years, arrived in Mangaluru on 17 January. Upon arrival, he exhibited rashes and reported a history of fever two days earlier. He was immediately isolated at a private hospital, and his Mpox samples were sent to Bangalore Medical College (BMC) and later to NIV, Pune.
“The patient is stable and does not have any serious complications. He is likely to be discharged shortly,” health department officials said.
The patient’s 36-year-old wife, who received him at the airport, has been identified as a primary contact and has been advised to isolate for a few days to monitor the development of any symptoms.
The public are advised not to panic about the reporting of Mpox due to the mild nature of the disease and its significantly lower infectivity. However, they are advised to watch for common symptoms such as skin rashes, fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, sweating, sore throat, and cough, and to get tested, especially if they have a travel history to high-risk countries or have been in close contact with individuals affected by Mpox.