Monkeypox suspect admitted to Delhi hospital had travelled abroad: Report

The suspected patient of monkeypox, admitted to the LNJP Hospital here, had travelled abroad over a month ago, sources said on Wednesday.

A resident of Ghaziabad, the man had fever and lesions for the last one week while his reports from the National Institute of Virology, Pune, are awaited, they said.

A suspected case of monkeypox was also reported in Uttar Pradesh's Noida, adjoining Delhi, but the patient's laboratory results turned out to be negative, health department officials said.

According to officials, the patient, a 47-year-old Greater Noida resident, approached the health department on Tuesday, after which her samples were taken.

On Wednesday evening, Noida Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sunil Kumar Sharma said, "the lab report of the suspected case reported yesterday is available now. It is negative for monkeypox."

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also directed officials to create awareness about monkeypox among people of the state and keep a minimum of 10 beds reserved in Covid hospitals for cases of the disease.

India has reported four cases of monkeypox, including three in Kerala, so far.

Sources said the Ghaziabad resident, who is in his 30s, had travelled to Paris, over a month ago, and was hospitalized at LNJP on Tuesday after he reported symptoms of fever and lesions.

His samples have been sent to National Institute of Virology, Pune, and his reports are expected by Thursday, sources said.

He was admitted to the state-run hospital on Tuesday afternoon and is in the isolation ward.

Meanwhile, the west Delhi man, who was the first reported monkeypox case in the capital, is currently recovering in the isolation ward of the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital.

His condition is stable and will be discharged once his lesions are completely healed, sources said.

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.

Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting two to four weeks. It typically presents itself with fever, headache, rashes, sore throat, cough and swollen lymph nodes.

According to the patient isolation guidelines issued by the Centre, those infected must stay in a separate room with "separate ventilation".

They must wear a triple-ply mask while the skin lesions should be covered to the best extent possible to minimise the risk of contact with others.

The patients should will remain in isolation until all lesions have healed and the scabs completely fallen off.