Eight cases of monkeypox have been reported so far in India and a national task force has been set up to monitor the development of diagnostics and vaccines, Health Minister Mansukh Madaviya said today. Delhi reported another monkeypox case today, the third case of the viral disease in the national capital so far.
“Till date eight cases of the disease have been detected in India, out of which five have foreign travel history,” Mr Mandaviya said in the Rajya Sabha.
A 35-year-old foreigner in Delhi with no recent history of travel tested positive for monkeypox today, official sources said. The man had been admitted to the government-run LNJP Hospital yesterday.
While the first case in India was reported from Kerala on July 14, the minister said much before that on May 1, 2022 the Centre had given guidelines to all states, and not just for international airports, on surveillance mechanism and contact tracing, how to collect samples from suspected cases and sending it to recognised laboratories for testing.
The Delhi government has asked three private hospitals to create isolation rooms for monkeypox cases. The hospitals will be required to reserve five rooms for confirmed cases of monkeypox and five others for suspected cases.
Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the same family of viruses that causes smallpox. The disease is endemic in regions like West and Central Africa but lately, cases have been reported from non-endemic countries too, according to the WHO.
Monkeypox typically manifests itself with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications. It is usually a self-limiting disease with symptoms lasting for two to four weeks.
Meanwhile, India has now sought more intensified efforts by the UAE to stop seemingly positive people from boarding flights and travelling which allows greater transmission of the virus.
The Health Ministry in its letter to Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, executive director & International Health Regulations (IHR) focal point, UAE, sought that exit screening may be further intensified so as to ensure that persons exhibiting symptoms suggestive of Monkeypox disease are not allowed to board flights.
Joint secretary, Health Ministry, Lav Agarwal in his letter said that under Article 18 of IHR 2005, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends member states to undertake exit-screening measures at points of entry and if required impose restrictions on persons from affected areas in response to a public health emergency of international concern.
Read more Health News
