Monkeypox: ICMR shares update day after 1st case gets reported

CHENNAI: A day after the first monkeypox case was detected in Kerala's Kollam district, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Friday said that 15 research and diagnostic laboratories have been trained across the country for the detection of the virus.

"To help the country's preparedness for monkeypox detection, 15 Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories across the country, which are geographically well distributed and strategically located, have already been trained in the diagnostic test by ICMR -NIV, Pune," the ICMR said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, the Kerala government has stepped up vigil to prevent the spread of monkeypox and has issued special alerts to 5 districts.

India reported its first case of monkeypox on Thursday, with a Keralite who returned from the UAE testing positive for the virus, prompting the Centre to rush a high-level multi-disciplinary team to collaborate with the State Health Authorities in instituting public health measures.

The case was confirmed through the testing of the samples of the symptomatic person at the National Institute of Virology, Pune.