Kerala has reported its second case of Mpox after a 26-year-old man from Ernakulam tested positive for the viral infection. The individual, who recently returned from the UAE, is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city. His initial samples were tested at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Alappuzha and have now been sent to the NIV lab in Pune for genomic sequencing.
This case marks the second Mpox infection in Kerala and the third in India this year. Just last week, a 38-year-old man from Malappuram, also with a travel history to the UAE, tested positive for the highly contagious Mpox Clade 1b strain. He remains in stable condition.
In response to these cases, Kerala's health authorities have intensified surveillance and isolation measures to curb the spread of the virus. Enhanced screening protocols have also been introduced, particularly for travelers arriving from high-risk areas.
