New Delhi: With India declaring the detection of its fourth case of Monkeypox with no foreign travel history has raised the brows of the health care ministry. Experts say initial symptoms do not present immediate deterioration of health. Symptoms like high fever, swollen lymph nodes and a blistery chickenpox-like rash must be monitored it said. The symptoms usually begin within one-three days of fever onset, lasting for around two-four weeks and are often described as painful until the healing phase when they become itchy (in the crust stage).
Monkeypox is an enveloped double-stranded DNA virus having two distinct genetic clades- the central and west African. According to WHO, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis presenting symptoms similar to smallpox typically less severe. The world health agency on Saturday declared Monkeypox a global emergency of international concern and called on nations to work closely with communities of men who have sex with the same gender.
In the high-level meeting the centre held on Sunday, a dossier named ‘Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox disease’ was issued to states and union territories. The ministry mentioned that public health interventions like identification of the source of infection, enhanced contact tracing, testing sensitisation of private practitioners etc are being carried out.
It stated that human-human transmission occurs primarily through respiratory droplets, it may also be associated with direct body fluid or lesion material.
The recent case detected in the National Capital is a 31-year-old patient with no foreign travel history. He, however, had attended a stag party in Manali in Himachal Pradesh recently. The infected individual is isolated at the Lok Nayak Hospital. He is a resident of West Delhi and was isolated around three days after he showed symptoms of the disease.
So far 16,000 cases have been reported from 75 countries along with 7 deaths.