Tamil Nadu: Health Minister Ma Subramanian refutes reports of monkeypox cases in state

Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu State Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Friday refuted reports of monkeypox cases in the state. Subramanian noted that fake news of 4 cases of monkeypox being detected in Tamil Nadu's Nagercoil was circulating on social media. "Not even a single monkeypox case in Tamil Nadu. Fake news is circulating on social media that 4 monkeypox cases confirmed in Nagercoil. Don't believe fake news. If we find any such case, we'll tell the media to make people aware of the disease," he said.

Notably, 4 cases of monkeypox have been detected in India so far. While 3 cases were reported from Kerela, one positive case was found in Delhi. In another case, a man suspected to be infected with monkeypox was admitted to a government hospital in Telangana’s Khammam on July 27.

The World Health Organisation declared monkeypox a 'global health emergency' on July 23. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that 'we have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly, through new modes of transmission, about which we understand too little and which meets the criteria in the International Health Regulations.' "For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern," he said.

On the other hand, Kerela Health Minister Veena George on Monday assured that there's no need to worry over the outbreak of monkeypox cases in India as not only the primary contacts of the infected persons have tested negative, but testing and surveillance have also been increased across the state.

India's first case of monkeypox was detected in Kerala's Kollam after a man who arrived from the UAE tested positive on July 14. The second case of monkeypox was reported in a 31-year-old Dubai-returned man. The third case was recorded on July 22 in a resident of Malappuram who arrived in the state on July 6 and started showing symptoms from July 13.

The fourth case of monkeypox was reported in a Delhi man with no history of foreign travel on July 24. The 31-year-old man was admitted to Maulana Azad Medical College with fever and skin lesions. It was also the first case to be reported in Delhi