Delhi reports third monkeypox case; India's tally stands at eight

The first monkeypox patient in Delhi was discharged on Monday night

A 35-year-old man of African origin with no recent history of foreign travel has tested positive for monkeypox in Delhi, making it the country's eighth case and the city's third, official sources said on Tuesday.

The man was admitted to the Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital on Monday, they said, adding that he is in stable condition.

The first monkeypox patient in the national capital was discharged on Monday night.

A source, close to the hospital authorities monitoring the monkeypox situation, also confirmed that the third case in Delhi has been reported.

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"This man (third case) tested positive yesterday for monkeypox, but he is doing fine. Two suspected patients are also currently admitted at the LNJP Hospital's isolation ward for monkeypox cases," the source told PTI.

The new suspected cases, including a woman, were admitted on Tuesday. She is also an African national. Surveillance teams are carrying out contact tracing of the patients.

"We are on alert and closely monitoring the situation," the source said.

LNJP Hospital, the largest hospital under the Delhi government, is the nodal centre for treatment of confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox in the city.

Also, the man who was the first reported case of monkeypox in Delhi, was discharged on Monday, the sources said. He was admitted on July 22.

Though the 34-year-old man from west Delhi had no history of international travel, he had attended a stag party in Manali in Himachal Pradesh recently.

A 35-year-old Nigerian man, living in Delhi but also having no recent history of foreign travel, had tested positive for monkeypox, official sources had said on Monday.

He became the second person in Delhi to have tested positive for the infection, they had said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently declared monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern.

Globally, several thousands of cases of monkeypox have been reported from a large number of countries and death in many cases also being reported due to this viral zoonotic disease.

The ''Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease'' issued by the Centre says that human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through large respiratory droplets generally requiring prolonged close contact.

It can also be transmitted through direct contact with body fluids or lesions, and indirect contact with lesion material such as through contaminated clothing or linen of an infected person. Animal-to-human transmission may occur by bite or scratch of infected animals or through bush meat preparation.