MALAPPURAM: Following the confirmation of mpox in a 38-year-old individual from Edavanna, the health department has compiled a contact list of 72 people in an effort to contain its spread in Malappuram.
Of the 72 contacts, 23 — including the patient’s family members — are from Malappuram, 43 travelled with him on an Air India Express flight from Dubai to Malappuram on September 13, and six of them had stayed with him in Dubai.
“The 23 people from Malappuram and the six in Dubai are now under home isolation. The health department is contacting the 43 people from the flight, who will also be asked to isolate themselves. The 43 people include passengers seated three rows in front and three rows behind the patient. Some individuals from the flight remain unreachable, as their phone numbers are inactive and their Kerala addresses unknown. They will also be contacted soon,” said Health Minister Veena George.
The minister further mentioned that the patient’s samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for strain identification.
“The Clade 1b strain has higher rates of human-to-human transmission and is more virulent, while Clade 2b is generally linked to milder cases. If the patient is found to have the 1b strain, we will need to adjust our protocols accordingly,” she added.
In a reassuring update, the health minister announced that three individuals in Pathanamthitta, who were under observation for mpox, tested negative on Thursday.
Screenings are being conducted at Kerala’s airports to prevent the spread of diseases, says Veena George
The minister also noted that screenings are being conducted at Kerala’s airports to prevent the spread of diseases like mpox. “Anyone showing symptoms of the disease should self-report at the airports,” the minister said. Kozhikode Airport director Seshadrivasam Suresh confirmed that a health office has been set up and is now operational at the airport. “The Union government issued an order on August 20 to screen passengers for symptoms, including fever, at airports. We implemented this screening the following day, August 21. All passengers must undergo health checks at the designated health office,” the airport director said.