NEW DELHI: The Union Health Ministry has sent an expert team to Kerala where monkey pox case has been confirmed. The high-level expert team consists of advisor to the Ministry of Health Dr. P Ravindran, NCGC Dr. Sanket Kulkarni, Dr. Arvind Kumar.

Meanwhile, Minister Veena George informed that the Kollam native who was confirmed with monkey pox had taken precautionary measures while arriving from abroad. The patient informed the health workers that he had traveled on the flight wearing gloves on his hands as he was suspected of having the disease. The incubation period of the pathogen is 21 days. The Minister also stated that those in the primary contact list will be under observation during these days. The Minister said that the family members, the health workers of the hospital in Kollam where the patient first sought treatment and the taxi driver, have been inlcuded in primary contact and is put under observation.

A native of Kollam, who reached Thiruvananthapuram by flight from UAE, was diagnosed with the disease. He had gone straight to his house from the airport. After that, he sought treatment at a hospital in Kollam and was later transferred to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College.