The first death in India and the fourth in Asia, monkeypox, which was recently declared as a pandemic by WHO, spreads like a wildfire. 
image source: Science news[/caption]
With a lower fatality rate of around one per cent or less, it still manages to have a gruesome impact. There have been three other deaths across the world reportedly due to monkeypox, of which one was outside of Africa, one in Brazil and two in Spain since the beginning of 2022.
Kerala has witnessed the first case of a 22 year old youth succumbing to yet another deadly disease, monkeypox. The 22-year old man had recently returned to Thrissur in Kerala after being tested positive for monkeypox infection abroad. This is India’s first case of death due to monkeypox since its spread in 2021.
He died on Saturday and had returned to Kerala on 21 July. He had been admitted to a private hospital on 27 July after he developed encephalitis and fever, besides which his lymph nodes were swollen.
Reportedly, the 22 year old who was found to be the fourth case in the southern state had returned from the United Arab Emirates a few days ago and tested positive for the zoonotic (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) disease on the 19th of July while he was still in Ras Al-Khaimah. But this was only revealed after his death.
The state’s Health Minister Veena George assured, “A probe has been initiated and a proper investigation is underway.” Addressing the media, George said, “This particular variant of monkeypox is not as highly virulent or contagious as COVID-19, but it does spread. Comparatively, the mortality rate of this variant is low.”
She also informed the media that the youth was not suffering from any illness prior to this due to which the health department was looking into the cause of his death.
Monkeypox Symptoms:
The doctors said, “There were no red marks or blisters when he got admitted. But later such symptoms started appearing on his body. Since he came from the high-risk UAE, he was admitted to an isolation ward.”
Doctors confirmed that the symptoms of the 22-year old were quite similar to monkeypox and therefore, he was admitted. He has developed encephalitis and fever, besides which his lymph nodes were swollen.
As his conditions worsened he was moved to another hospital, where he was put on life support, and where he died on Saturday afternoon.
The World Health Organisation:
Recently, the World Health Organisation declared monkeypox as a global health threat. As per the organisation, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals). The symptoms of monkeypox are similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, however, it is clinically less severe.
Experts believe that with the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and the subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopox virus for public health.
“We have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly, through new modes of transmission, about which we understand too little, and which meets the criteria in the International Health Regulations… For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said.
The US has been under its impact with many of its states declaring a health emergency. India has witnessed a handful of cases though the death of the youth from Kerala, has raised the concern even for New Delhi.
There are a number of safeguards that people will resort to, and such diseases should not be taken with negligence. Proper medications, tests, and prevention are the only keys to curing a disease of which only little is known.
Also Read: “Covid Is Still An International Emergency” Says WHO
