Nigerian man tests positive for monkeypox virus; 2nd case in Delhi, 6th countrywide

A 35-year-old Nigerian man, living in Delhi and having no recent history of foreign travel has tested positive for monkeypox, taking the total number of infected people in the country to six, official sources said on Monday. 

He is the second person in Delhi to test positive for the infection. He has no recent history of foreign or local travel, sources told PTI.

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The Nigerian national is admitted to the Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital, the nodal hospital, for treatment of the infection. He has had blisters and fever for the last five days. His samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. 

An official source said the report, which arrived Monday evening, showed he was positive. Two suspected patients of monkeypox, who are of African origin, have also been admitted to the LNJP Hospital, sources added.

Earlier today, a 20-year-old exhibiting symptoms of the disease was admitted to a government hospital in Jaipur, and his samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, Dr. Ajit Singh, Superintendent of Rajasthan University of Health Sciences, said on Monday.

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The youth was referred from Kishangarh late on Sunday. He said he had been kept under observation in the special ward created for monkeypox cases. Dr Singh added that the youth has suffered from fever for the last four days and has rashes on his body.

(With inputs from PTI)

• Monkeypox
• New Delhi
• COVID-19
• Virus
• India
• WHO