First suspected monkeypox case in Telangana tests negative

Hyderabad, July 26: Samples collected from a man with suspected symptoms of monkeypox were found to be negative, a top Telangana health official said on Tuesday.

“The samples sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune for monkeypox testing are found to be negative,” announced Director of Public Health Dr G. Srinivasa Rao. There is no need to panic, he added.

Five types of samples of the 40-year-old man were sent. They include swab from throat, blood, urine, and from lesions on skin.

The man had arrived in Kamareddy from Kuwait on July 6. He developed fever on July 20 and later when there were rashes on the body, he approached a private hospital in the town.

Suspecting it to be a case of monkeypox, doctors referred him to Kamareddy District Hospital and from there he was sent in an ambulance to Hyderabad and admitted in a special isolation ward for suspected monkeypox cases at Fever Hospital on Sunday.

“The lesions on his neck, hands and chest are like lesions from monkeypox. It may also be chickenpox,” Fever Hospital Superintendent Dr K. Shankar had said on Monday.

The man’s six close contacts were also identified and kept in isolation.

The director of public health had earlier said that people need not panic over monkeypox as it is not a fatal disease.

This was the first suspected case of monkeypox in Telangana. Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh had reported the first suspected case on July 17. two-year-old child, who had gone to Dubai with family, was found with skin rashes on return. However, the samples sent to NIV, Pune tested negative for monkeypox.

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