A 38-year-old youth from Edavanna in Kerala’s Malappuram district, who showed symptoms of Mpox, has been put under observation at the Manjeri Medical College hospital.
The youth, who returned from Dubai only last week, reached Manjeri Medical College Hospital with fever and rashes on his hands on Monday. Dermatologists, who examined him, grew suspicious and isolated him for further examination.
His serum samples have already been sent to the virology laboratory at Government Medical College, Kozhikode. Health department officials are now waiting for the sample result.
Meanwhile, with the virus infection confirmed in the 24-year-old man who died at a hospital last week, the health department has placed the district on high alert
Masks have been made mandatory in Malappuram district. Five wards in Tiruvali and Mampad grama panchayats have been declared containment zones. Schools, colleges, madrasas, anganwadis and cinema halls in these zones will remain closed until the Nipah restrictions are lifted.
In this connection, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Tuesday that 13 people who came into contact with the youth who died of Nipah virus in Malappuram district last week, have tested negative for the disease.
She further said of the total 175 people on the contact list of the deceased man, the samples of 13 people, in the high-risk category, tested negative at the Manjeri Government Medical College Hospital in Malappuram.