A fortnight after first confirmed case of monkeypox in India, it has reported its first casualty. A 22-year-old man from Thrissur in Kerala died of suspected monkeypox symptoms, a day after Kerala Health Minister Veena George He said that he had tested positive in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Six days after he arrived in the state on July 21, the patient was undergoing treatment at a private hospital for severe fatigue and meningitis. His swab samples have been sent to the ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV) center in Alappuzha for confirmation. , Death from the virus is reportedly rare, although as shown by the experience of COVID-19, it can vary depending on the population at hand. According to the World Health Organization, the case fatality ratio of monkeypox in the general population has historically been 0% to 11%, and has been higher in young children. In recent times, the case fatality ratio has been around 3%-6%. While the disease has been in Africa since the 1970s, it has also been reported in the US, UK and Israel. In 2017, Nigeria experienced a major outbreak, with a case-to-death ratio of about 3%; Cases keep getting registered. This surge in 78 countries outside Africa has raised disease risk profiles with the realization that there is a considerable gap in the knowledge of whether the disease poses a greater risk for specific population groups, as was ultimately determined. for COVID-19. Among monkeypox deaths in Brazil and Spain, patients were reported to have severe associated syndromes such as encephalitis and lymphoma, although it is unclear what role the virus played in their disease outcome.
That monkeypox spreads primarily through sexual transmission and close contact—it’s not an airborne disease—should not be a matter of comfort to health officials. The death in Thrissur highlights the need for a comprehensive inquiry as well as public disclosure on the progress of the case. For example, Kerala health officials say that the person was admitted not after being confirmed to be monkeypox positive but after experiencing fever and fatigue. It was only later that rashes and blisters appeared. Interestingly, he had tested positive for monkeypox, a day before his death was disclosed to the health authorities. It is in order to rule out a misdiagnosis of monkeypox (by the UAE) that the NIV has conducted a re-test. India has announced a task force to monitor the spread of the disease. The Indian Council of Medical Research has isolated the virus strain and invited vaccine makers to develop the vaccine. It has also invited proposals to develop diagnostic kits. While it is fortunate that the disease so far appears to be self-limiting, the government should not hesitate to transparently communicate the potential severity of the disease.