India confirms first case of death due to monkeypox

India has reported its first death due to monkeypox in Kerala, as per the statement of state health minister Veena George on Monday. The 22-year-old, who passed away on Saturday with symptoms of the illness, had tested positive for the virus in the UAE over 10 days ago.

The Kerala government had launched an investigation into the matter after the boy died with symptoms related to the viral illness. “A young boy returned from UAE on July 22, he was with his family when on July 26 he developed a fever & was admitted on July 27. On July 28 he was moved to a ventilator. He got tested on July 19 for monkeypox in UAE, the result of which was positive. The person died on July 30,” the health minister was reportedly quoted as saying.

“Health dept teams went there, samples were sent to NIV, and test results showed he was monkeypox positive. The team constituted genomic sequencing being done at NIV. The health department will examine the reasons behind the death of the man,” she added. Test results done by the NIV also came out positive on August 1, making it the first death as a result of monkeypox in the country.