New Delhi, Aug 1 (FN Representative) One more case of Monkeypox has been confirmed in the national capital taking the tally of infected patients in the city to 2, sources told UNI. The new patient is a male African national who has been living in Delhi for several years now. The patient was checked into Lok Nayak Hospital (LNH) after he complained of fever and blisters started appearing on his skin. According to sources, the patient has no recent history of international travel. “His report came today from National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune which confirmed him positive for the Monkeypox,” a senior official said. “We have initiated tracing his contacts and identification of the source of infection is underway. His recent contacts are being identified and will be told to go into quarantine,” the official added. Meanwhile, two more African nationals are admitted to the LNH after they showed symptoms of the disease. The patients are suspected of contracting the Monkeypox virus as their reports are awaited, sources said.
“The first suspect was admitted on Saturday and the other two were admitted on consecutive days. Their samples were sent to NIV for testing. The first suspect among them has been confirmed for the Monkeypox infection. The reports of the remaining two patients will arrive in the coming days,” a senior doctor from LNH told UNI. The latest case emerged a week after the first case in the city was reported on July 25 in a 34-year-old resident of West Delhi. While the government is yet to announce the second Monkeypox case in Delhi, the case tally has risen to 5 in the country so far. Of them, three cases were reported in Kerala and two in Delhi. One suspected death by Monkeypox was also reported in Kerala on Sunday. A 22-year-old man, who had recently returned from UAE, was found dead with symptoms of the disease during his treatment in a private hospital, according to the state government. State Health Minister Veena George told the reporters that the patient had tested positive for Monkeypox before his departure to India on July 22 and had suppressed his health status from the authorities, based on the information collected from the deceased’s relatives.