New Delhi: Dr Suresh Kumar, the medical director of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, announced on Saturday that Delhi has now reported five cases of monkeypox.
A 22-year-old African woman sample tested positive on Friday, and was staying in South Delhi, said Dr Kumar updating the media. He added that “she is presently under observation and has had no recent travel history. However, the patient had travelled to Africa a month ago.”
Dr Kumar reported “Four patients are currently admitted, and one has been discharged. Another patient was admitted Yesterday to LNJP when her sample was confirmed positive. In Delhi, there has been a total of five cases of monkeypox reported so far. Our medical team is treating her, “.
On 24 July 2020, a day after the World Health Organization designated monkeypox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, Delhi reported its first case of the virus. On July 14, the Kollam district of Kerala announced the first case of monkeypox in India.
Meanwhile, the ICMR reports to have received 31 bids from manufacturers that are interested in developing vaccine and detection kits in India for the monkeypox virus.
Eight pharma firms have said they are interested in developing a monkeypox vaccine, while 23 have applied to manufactured virus detection kits, sources in the Indian Council of Medical Research, or ICMR, said.
So far 10 cases have been reported in the country. The Centre had released a host of guidelines to check the virus spread in India, including those at the entry points to the country. International passengers have been asked to avoid close contact with sick people and dead or live wild animals.