monkeypox: According to an ICMR study, the first fatal case of monkeypox in India highlights the importance of a high index of suspicion for diagnosing the viral disease in people with unusual manifestations.
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Monkeypox Virus
The study ‘One fatal case of monkeypox virus infection from Kerala India 2022’ has been published as a pre-print and has not been reviewed. So far, 11 cases of monkeypox have been reported in India, five from Kerala and six from Delhi.
22-year-old youth had returned from UAE after illness
A 22-year-old immunocompromised male, with no significant medical history, was admitted to a private hospital in Kerala in an unconscious state, the study said.
The patient developed fever, headache on 15 July while in UAE he had lymphadenopathy with pus, for which he underwent treatment on 19 July. He was partially cured after treatment and returned to Kerala from UAE on July 21, 2022.
He played football on 23 July due to which his health deteriorated after which he consulted a surgeon in Kerala on 25 July and was diagnosed with hidradenitis suppurativa.
The young man continued to complain of fatigue and mild fever not associated with persistent headache, sensorimotor changes, loss of appetite, or weight gain. He developed fever on the evening of 26 July followed by a tonic-clonic attack.
Serological tests were negative for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis. He had neutrophilic leukocytosis with normal liver and kidney. She developed coagulopathy and acute renal colic over the next 48 hours, the study said.
The patient’s cerebral edema worsened on 28 July and was treated. Despite anti-cerebral edema measures, he developed brainstem dysfunction and died on 30 July.
Just before the death of the patient, his relatives received a test report from the UAE which showed that he was found to be MPXV positive in the UAE. This was the first fatal case of monkeypox reported in India.
This case highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for diagnosing MPXV in people who present with unusual symptoms.
