Delhi reports 2nd monkeypox case, African nat'l with no travel history infected

Delhi on Monday reported the second monkeypox case, with a 35-year-old African national with no history of foreign travel has tested positive. With this the total number of monkeypox patients has risen to six. The infected patient has been admitted to the Delhi government-run LNJP hospital. He has blisters and fever for the last five days

The African national's samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. The report which arrived Monday evening showed he was positive.The first case in the national capital was reported on July 24. A 31-year-old West Delhi resident with no foreign history had tested positive for monkeypox.Till now, India has reported six cases of the monkeypox disease. Three infections were reported from Kerala, out of which a 22-year-old youth died of the disease. The health ministry in Kerala state said that tests on the 22-year-old who died on July 30 "showed that the man had monkeypox". The death is the fourth monkeypox-related fatality outside Africa.In another development, Rajasthan reported its first suspected case of monkeypox. A 20-year-old youth from Kishangarh has been admitted to Jaipur's Rajasthan University of Health Sciences, PTI reported. The patient had been suffering from fever and has lesions in his body, a senior doctor said. His samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, on Monday.

The Centre has set up a special task force to monitor the monkeypox cases and assist in the expansion of diagnostic facilities. NITI Aayog member (health) VK Paul will head the task force and the members will include officials from the ministry and representatives of the country's major medical and