Monkeypox Scare: Child gets admitted to Andhra Pradesh's GGH hospital with virus symptoms

Andhra Pradesh-based GGH Hospital informed on July 17 that a child was recently admitted for having symptoms of monkeypox. They further stated that the blood samples of the patient were sent to Pune and the result is negative. The child along with his family had recently returned to the country from a trip to Saudi Arabia. 

"A child was admitted to GGH hospital with monkeypox symptoms. Blood samples were sent to Pune and a report for the same is awaited. The family of the child is kept under home quarantine. The family returned to India from a Saudi Arabia tour yesterday," said Nageshwara Rao, Superintendent of GGH Hospital Vijayawada. 

"We have received the information that the reports of the suspected monkeypox case are negative," he added, minutes later. 

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has increased its security measures to prevent the spread of Monkeypox, days after their neighbouring state of Kerala reported the first case of the disease in the country.

India's first Monkeypox case in Kerala

India recorded its first case of Monkeypox after a 35-year-old man who returned from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last week, was found to be infected with the virus. The man reportedly came to Kerala from the UAE a few days ago and is currently being treated at the medical college hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. It is important to note that Monkeypox has spread its web across 60 countries, with three deaths and over 6,000 cases registered since the beginning of 2022.   

The infection of Monkeypox is transmitted from animals suffering from the disease to humans via indirect or direct contact. Human-to-human transmission can take place through direct contact with lesions, infected skin including face to face, skin to skin and respiratory droplets. 

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