The 22-year-old died on July 30 in a hospital in Kerala state, where he was treated for fatigue and encephalitis. Authorities subsequently learned that he’d tested positive for the monkeypox virus on July 20, the day before he returned to India, said Veena George, Kerala’s health minister. Officials are investigating the death, which, if confirmed, would be the first fatal case reported in Asia.

Federal health ministry officials didn’t respond to calls and texts seeking a comment on the death. India has so far reported five monkeypox cases. The first patient, also detected in Kerala last month, has recovered completely, George said.

India has formed a task force to monitor monkeypox infections headed by Vinod Kumar Paul, a member of the government think tank NITI Aayog and head of the national task force on Covid-19, a federal health ministry spokeswoman said today.

Other members include senior representatives from the federal ministries of health, pharmaceuticals and biotech, she said.

The South Asian nation has initiated talks with vaccine makers to produce a monkeypox vaccine locally. Companies have been asked to submit expressions of interest by Aug 10 to develop a shot and diagnostic tests under a public-private partnership.