A person from Kerala who had tested positive for monkeypox in another country, died in Thrissur on Saturday.

This has become India’s first monkeypox death and the fourth one outside Africa. As per reports, the youth had landed in Kerala on July 22 from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Meanwhile, Kerala health minister Veena George said that the death of the youth will be probed as he was tested positive for the infection in the UAE and authorities were not informed about it on time.

So far, India has reported four monkeypox cases. Out of these, the first three cases were reported in Kerala with travel history, however, fourth case was detected in Delhi with no travel history.

The centre has formed a task force in the wake of monkeypox cases in India to monitor and provide guidance to the government on the expansion of diagnostic facilities and to explore vaccination for the infection in the country.

The decision was taken during a meeting which was attended by Cabinet secretary, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Additional Secretary (PMO) and other senior officials on Saturday.

As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), monkeypox is a virus that can be transmitted to humans through animals with symptoms that are similar to those witnessed in the past in smallpox patients, although it is less severe. On July 23, WHO declared Monkeypox as global emergency under ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’ (PHEIC), which is one step below pandemic.