THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala reported its first case of suspected monkeypox on Thursday. The affected person, who had returned from abroad, was admitted to a hospital in the state after showing symptoms of monkeypox, state Health Minister Veena George said on Thursday. His samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for testing, she said, adding that the disease can be confirmed only after receiving the test results. Without divulging further details, George said the person showed symptoms of monkeypox and had been in close contact with a monkeypox patient abroad. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in patients with smallpox in the past, although it is clinically milder. With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and the subsequent discontinuation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox became the most important orthopoxvirus for public health. (With information from PTI)
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