Thiruvananthapuram, August 2 (BPNS)
Kerala reported its fifth monkeypox virus (MPV) case on Tuesday. The new case has been reported from Malappuram. According to the health department, a 30-year-old man who returned from the UAE on July 27 got infected and is currently under treatment.
At the same time, the union health ministry and the state health department have started an investigation into Asia’s first MPV death reported from Thrissur on July 30. The investigation is to determine the cause of death and how the infected was able to travel even though he tested positive for MPV in Dubai on July 19 itself.
“Four primary contacts – parents and two friends – of the fifth case have been put under observation. The fresh case and the two previous cases are now under treatment and their health conditions remain satisfactory,” said Veena George, health minister.
It was on July 14 that the nation’s first MPV case was reported from Kollam. This case got discharged the other day. The second and third cases were reported on July 18 (from Kannur) and July 22 (from Malappuram) respectively. In the fourth case, a 22-year-old Thrissur native is the one who succumbed to the MPV.
“The Thrissur case is a serious one. First and foremost, he was allowed to fly despite being tested for MPV in Dubai itself. The health ministry and the civil aviation ministry are expected to conduct an inquiry on the same. Secondly, neither the deceased nor his close ones disclosed the test result to the concerned authorities including the private hospital where he sought treatment,” said a health official.
Meanwhile, Veena said that hiding ailments like MPV will do no good for oneself and those around that person.
“This Thrissur incident will be inquired about by a high-level team from the state medical board. The preliminary findings from the National Institute of Virology show that the deceased was infected with MPV’s West African strain. Genome sequencing will be conducted to gather more facts. A total of 20 high-risk primary contacts have been identified. They are now under surveillance,” said the minister.
According to the health department, the investigation is to find what triggered the death of the 22-year-old. While there is suspicion that the death was caused due to encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain due to the infection, the investigation is expected to shed light on the same.
