Monkeypox: India records first death and isolates 20 contacts

(BBC) India has confirmed its first death caused by monkeypox in the southern state of Kerala.

A 22-year-old man, who had recently travelled to the state from the United Arab Emirates, died on Saturday.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said the man had initially tested positive for the virus abroad. Samples tested after his death also detected the virus, she said on Monday.

This is the fourth monkeypox death reported globally, outside of Africa.

Monday also saw health authorities in Ghana confirm the West African nation’s first death from the virus in the current outbreak.

The infected person was a military officer who died three days after reporting to a hospital in the north-east of the country. He had a fever and a skin rash, but no further details were available.

Thirteen people who are believed to have come into contact with the man who died are in isolation and are currently being monitored.

Ghana has so far recorded more than 30 cases of the virus in seven regions of the country.

The illness is caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the same family of viruses as smallpox, although it is much less severe and experts say chances of infection are low.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency last month.

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