Monkey Pox Scare: Centre Asks States, UTs To Ensure Preparedness As 1st Mpox Positive Case Confirmed In India

Monkey Pox Scare: The Central government Monday urged all states and Union territories to screen and test all suspected cases of monkey pox (mpox) of their respective jurisdictions. A letter issued by Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra asked all states and U.s.to remain prepared and perceive isolation facilities in hospitals for both suspect and confirmed patients.

1st Mpox positive case confirmed in India

The Centre’s advice came amid the first confirmed case of Mpox revealed for the duration of the usa of a on Monday. In line with the Union Health Ministry, a man who had arrived for the duration of the usa of a after a foreign day out has tested positive for the viral infection.

“The previously suspected case of mpox has been verified as a travel-related infection. Laboratory trying out has confirmed the presence of mpox virus of the West African clade-2 for the duration of the patient,” the ministry said.

On the opposite hand, it asserted that the case is an isolated one, an awful lot like the earlier 30 cases reported in India from July 2022 onwards, and is now not a bit of the present public health emergency reported by WHO which is regarding clade 1 of Mpox.

“The person, a young male who recently travelled from a country experiencing ongoing mpox transmission, is currently isolated at a designated tertiary care isolation facility. The patient remains clinically stable and is without any systemic illness or comorbidities,” the ministry stated.

Make certain that preparedness: Centre to States, UTs

Meanwhile, for the duration of the letter to states and UTs, the Centre has asked them to public health preparedness, specially on the sanatorium level, perceive isolation facilities in hospitals, and make certain the provision of required logistics and trained human resources at such facilities.

The Union health secretary also in most cases often is sometimes called for the orientation of all key stakeholders with a give attention to surveillance units lower than the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) at state and district levels to re-orient them on definitions of suspect, probable, confirmed cases, contact tracing and other surveillance activities.

Spreading Mpox awareness

In the letter, Chandra asked all states to make people aware about the Mpox disease, its mode of spread, the necessity for timely reporting and taking preventive measures, as well as reviewing the public health preparedness and isolation facilities for both suspect and confirmed cases.

“No new case of mpox has been reported in India for the duration of the present outbreak, and none of the samples in suspected cases has tested positive,” he had said sooner than news broke about the first positive case, and asserted that the health ministry continues to closely video display the evolving situation.

WHO declares Mpox a ‘Public Health Emergency’

The World Health Organization (WHO) had on August 14 declared the present outbreak of mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in wake of the continuously rising trend of mpox cases for the duration of the Democratic Republic of Congo for the duration of the last six months.

Spread of mpox cases has been reported from newer East African countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, the WHO said

In its newest situational update, WHO has highlighted that the clinical picture of the cases has largely remained the same, Chandra said listing key characteristics per which most cases are young males with a median age of 34 years (range 18-forty four years).

Among modes of transmission reported globally, sexual contact is the foremost commonly reported, followed by person-to-person non-sexual contact and among cases where not lower than one symptom is reported, the foremost common symptom is rash, followed by fever, Chandra said for the duration of the letter.

(With inputs from agencies)