Karnataka’s health department as reported by the Indian Express confirmed on Thursday that tests at Pune’s National Institute of Virology have confirmed a monkeypox infection in a man who returned from Dubai to Mangaluru on January 17.
The statement read, “A case of monkeypox (MPox) has been confirmed on January 22, 2025, by the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, in a 40-year-old male from Mangaluru, originally from Karkala.”
The man, who had been living in Dubai for 19 years, began showing symptoms of infection, including rashes and fever, after his arrival. He was isolated at a private hospital, and samples were collected from him and initially sent to Bangalore Medical College before being referred to the National Institute of Virology for confirmation.
According to the health department, the patient is stable, without any serious complications, and is expected to be discharged soon. His 36-year-old wife, who received him at the airport, has been identified as a primary contact and has been advised to remain in isolation for a few days to monitor for any symptoms.
The department stated, “In general, MPox is a mild, self-limiting disease in most cases, except for a few immunocompromised patients with comorbidities who need to exercise greater caution. Treatment typically focuses on managing symptoms, such as medication for fever and body aches, antibiotics for secondary infections from lesions or rashes, and ensuring proper hydration, nutrition, and rest.”
MPox typically spreads only through very close contact with an infected person, and its infectivity is not as severe as that of COVID-19.
“The public is advised not to panic regarding the reporting of the case, given the mild nature of the disease and its much lesser infectivity. However, they are advised to watch for common symptoms associated with the disease, such as skin rashes along with fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, sweating, sore throat and cough and to get themselves tested, especially if they have a travel history to countries declared as high risk for this virus or if they have been in very close contact with persons affected by Mpox,” the statement said.
The statement added, “There are no advisories or special instructions from the Government of India at present regarding mandatory testing of travelers from other countries. While a vaccine for MPox exists and is generally recommended for high-risk populations like healthcare workers, it is not currently advised by the Government of India due to the very low number of MPox cases detected so far.”
