Monkeypox: Nigerian woman tests positive for virus in Delhi, India's tally rises to 13

A 30-year-old Nigerian woman in Delhi has tested positive for monkeypox, making it the city's eighth and the country's thirteenth case of the viral infection, sources said on Friday.

The woman has been admitted to LNJP Hospital, they said.

Another person suspected to be suffering from monkeypox has also been admitted to the Delhi government-run hospital, sources said.

"A total of eight cases of monkeypox have been reported in Delhi so far. The latest being a Nigerian woman, who is aged 30, and admitted at the LNJP Hospital. Her condition is being monitored," a source said.

The suspected case, also a Nigerian woman, were admitted on September 14, another source said, adding, the seventh and eighth confirmed cases and the suspected case are admitted at present, "all three patients are doing fine." These eight cases also include three men.

The early six cases have been treated and discharged, a senior doctor said.

Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease having common symptoms such as fever, skin lesions, lymphadenopathy, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, chills or sweats and sore throat and cough.

According to a study done recently by the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital (LNJP) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), patients in the first five cases showed "mild to moderate grade intermittent fever, myalgia (muscle pain) and lesions on the genitals, groins, lower limb, trunk and upper limb." Four of these cases had non-tender firm lymphadenopathy (swelling of lymph nodes).

No secondary complications or sexually transmitted infections were recorded in these cases except for Hepatitis B in one case, it had said.

In Delhi, the first case of monkeypox was reported on July 24.

LNJP Hospital has been made the nodal facility to treat patients with the viral infection.