Kozhikode: Amid heightened vigilance in Malappuram district following a death due to Nipah infection, a man from Othayi in Edavanna panchayat has been admitted to Manjeri Govt Medical College Hospital with suspected symptoms of Mpox, a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus. The 38-year-old man, returning from Dubai last week, sought treatment at the medical college's dermatology OP for fever and rashes, leading doctors to admit him for observation. Samples have been sent for testing at the virology lab in Kozhikode Govt Medical College Hospital, with PCR test results expected by Wednesday evening.

Health Minister Veena George confirmed the situation, stating that the man, upon suspecting his condition, isolated himself from his family upon returning home. Malappuram DMO Dr R Renuka emphasized the need for close monitoring of family members, noting that the man displayed symptoms upon returning to the state. The World Health Organization recently declared Mpox as a public health emergency due to a new strain, Clade 1, spreading in Africa. Despite a recent case in Haryana and previous cases in India, caused by Clade 2, this new strain has not been reported in the country.Part of the current global health crisis highlighted by the World Health Organization concerns Clade 1 of the monkeypox virus (MPXV), known as Mpox. Mpox is a type of enveloped double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the Poxviridae family. There are two main clades of the virus: Clade I (composed of subclades 1a and 1b) and Clade 2 (composed of subclades 2a and 2b). Mpox can spread through close contact with infected individuals, contaminated objects, or animals carrying the virus. Common symptoms of Mpox include rashes, fever, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes.