With the confirmation, the number of people testing positive for the deadly virus in the country reached four.
According to the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, a Saudi Arabia returnee migrant worker, has tested positive for the disease. The man whose detailed identity is not disclosed yet, was hospitalised a week ago upon arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport.
“The health condition of the patient is stable now,” said Dr Chandra Bhal Jha, director at the division. “The patient has been admitted to the isolation ward of the Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital.”
Doctors attending the patient said that the infected person had rashes in his private parts and blisters on hands and legs.
In December, last year, two Saudi Arabia returnees—a 36-year-old man from Tanahun and a 44-year-old man from Sindhuli—had tested positive for the mpox virus.
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus and one in 10 infected persons can die. Most common in remote parts of central and west Africa, the disease has now been reported in at least 122 countries . Its symptoms include fever, headache, swelling, body pains, exhaustion, and itchy rashes on the face, hands, and feet.
As the disease primarily spreads through close person-to-person contact, public health experts recommend self-isolation and good hygiene to avoid it.
Public health experts say that even if the rare viral infection is usually mild and most people recover within weeks, the risks should not be underestimated. They stress precautions saying that every disease seen in any corner of the world can come to Nepal due to the high mobility of people.
Monkeypox has been a globally neglected public health problem in parts of Africa for decades. The disease came into widespread attention after May 2022, with countries outside Africa reporting new cases.
Beyond Africa, monkeypox is spreading mainly among gay men.
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