KATHMANDU, JUNE 16
A suspected case of monkeypox has come to light in Nepal and the patient is under observation in a Kathmandu hospital.
According to an official in the health ministry, a 26-year-old man, who arrived home from Dubai today, is under observation at Teku-based Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, as he showed symptoms of monkeypox.
The man was referred to the hospital from Tribhuvan International Airport after he showed symptoms similar to monkeypox during screening at the TIA health desk, the official said.
Specimen collected from him has been sent to National Pubic Health Laboratory, Teku, to confirm whether he is suffering from monkeypox.
The recommended specimen for diagnostic confirmation of monkeypox are at least two dry swabs from the same lesion.
Health authorities in the United Arab Emirates had detected the country's first case of monkeypox on May 24.
According to the World Health Organisation, monkeypox is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It is a viral zoonotic disease, which means that it can spread from animals to humans. It can also spread among people.
Symptoms of monkeypox typically include fever, intense headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rashes or lesions. Rash usually appear within one to three days of fever.
In most cases, symptoms of monkeypox go away on their own within a few weeks, but in some individuals, they can lead to medical complications and can even be fatal.
Newborns, children, and people with underlying immune deficiencies may be at risk of serious complications and even death from monkeypox, said WHO.
Around three to six per cent of reported cases of monkeypox in countries where the disease is endemic have been fatal.
Often the victims are children or persons with underlying health conditions. The risk of monkeypox infection is the highest among those who have close physical contact with a monkeypox patient or with an infected animal.
More than 30 countries have reported cases of the viral disease since May 13.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 17, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
