Maharashtra Reports First Monkeypox Case; Patient From Saudi Arabia Tests Positive In Dhule

The first confirmed case of monkeypox in Maharashtra has been reported from Dhule. The patient, a resident of Saudi Arabia for the past four years, had returned to his hometown in Garib Nawaz Nagar on Oct 2 for his daughter’s wedding. Shortly after his arrival, he developed skin-related symptoms and tested positive for the infectious disease.

According to officials, the attending doctor suspected monkeypox and alerted the Dhule Municipal Corporation’s health team. Blood samples were collected and sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for testing. The initial report confirmed the infection, and a second test conducted to eliminate any doubt also returned positive.

Health officials said the patient is diabetic and is taking longer to recover. His condition is being closely monitored by medical teams.

Meanwhile, experts have noted that two variants of monkeypox are currently circulating worldwide — of which the Clade-1 strain is rarer and more contagious. So far, 35 cases of monkeypox have been reported in India, with the Dhule case being the first in Maharashtra.