Mpox case suspected in Malappuram: Kerala sends samples for urgent testing

A suspected monkeypox case has surfaced in Malappuram district, Kerala. A man who recently returned from abroad showed symptoms of the disease. After feeling unwell, he was first admitted to a private hospital and later transferred to Manjeri Medical College.

A district health official stated, "From there he was admitted to the Manjeri Medical College. On suspecting that it might be a case of monkeypox, we sent his samples to the Kozhikode Medical College for testing. The results are awaited."

Recently, a 26-year-old from Hisar, Haryana tested positive for monkeypox in Delhi. The Union Health Ministry identified it as an isolated case, similar to earlier cases since July 2022, and not related to the current WHO-declared public health emergency concerning clade 1 of monkeypox.


The ministry confirmed the Hisar resident had the West African clade-2 of the virus. The World Health Organisation last month declared monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern due to its spread across parts of Africa.

Monkeypox generally lasts two to four weeks, with patients recovering with supportive care. The virus spreads through prolonged, close contact with an infected person and presents symptoms like fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes.

The suspected case in Kerala comes after containment zones were set up in Malappuram, following the recent death of a 24-year-old from Nipah virus. The state confirmed the man's Nipah infection after his death on September 9.

Earlier, a boy in Malappuram died from Nipah on July 21. Past Nipah outbreaks in Kerala occurred in 2018, 2021, 2023, and also in 2019 in Ernakulam district. Nipah virus antibodies have been found in bats across Kozhikode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram, and Ernakulam districts.