Monkey Pox scare in Vijayawada: Girl tests negative for virus

By Our Special Correspondent

To the relief of the state medical and health department, samples from a three-year-old girl suspected to be infected with monkeypox were tested negative on Sunday.

The girl and her family arrived in New Delhi from Dubai on July 11. On the same day, they went to their hometown Vijayawada. After the family arrived home the toddler developed a fever and a rash, two symptoms of a zoonotic disease.

On the advice of Asha Worker, the girl's parents took her to the old government hospital in Vijayawada on Saturday. Doctors at GGH provided basic treatment and kept the family members under observation.

The child has been kept in isolation and her blood samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, Medical, Health and Family Welfare Commissioner J Niwas said. Stating that the girl's test reports were negative, Niwas concluded that there was no need to panic as there were no cases of monkeypox in the state.

NTR District Medical and Health Officer Dr. Macharla Suhasini clarified that the child is suffering from fever and rash. India's first case of monkeypox was reported in Kerala after a 35-year-old man returned to Kollam from the UAE. Soon, the Center has dispatched a team of experts to Kerala to monitor the situation.

Monkeypox is a disease caused by monkeypox virus. It is a viral infection that spreads from animals to humans. It can also spread from person to person.