India, Spain, Brazil Record Monkeypox Deaths – Should We Be Concerned?

New Delhi: The increasing number of cases of monkeypox and the many deaths reported due to the disease have raised concern among the health community and the public as well. On Sunday, India became the latest country to report its first death from monkeypox. A 22-year-old monkeypox patient from Kerala died in a private hospital in Thrissur.Also Read – Suspected monkeypox case reported from Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu

To date, more than 22,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in about 80 countries since May, with about 75 suspected deaths in Africa, mostly in Nigeria and Congo. On Friday, Brazil and Spain reported deaths linked to monkeypox, the first reported outside Africa.

First monkeypox death in India – what we know

• Kerala Health Minister Veena George said a 22-year-old man who had recently returned from the UAE died allegedly of monkeypox.
• While the swab results of the deceased patient are yet to be known, the health minister said the patient was young, had no other illnesses or health problems and hence, the health department is investigating the cause of his death.
• She said an inquiry would also be made as to why there was a delay in his hospitalization after he arrived here from the UAE on July 21.
• “This particular strain of monkeypox is not highly virulent or contagious like Covid-19, but it is contagious. Comparatively, this type has a low mortality rate. So, we will investigate why the 22-year-old died in this particular case as he had no other illness or health problems,” the minister said.
• The minister also said that no studies are available about this particular type from other countries where the disease has been discovered and thus, Kerala is conducting studies on it.

How to find out if you have monkeypox

Monkeypox usually starts with Fever, headache, chills, muscle aches and fatigue About five to 21 days after exposure, according to the US Department of Health. A rash usually develops one to three days after the onset of fever. The illness usually lasts for two to four weeks.

People are considered contagious until all the scabs from the rash come off and a fresh layer of skin forms, the department said.

With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and the subsequent end of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus in public health.