Monkeypox Cases: Task Force Led By Dr VK Paul To Closely Monitor Virus Situation In India — Details

The decision to constitute a task force to track the monkeypox situation was taken at a high-level meeting held on July 26 to review the ongoing public health preparedness in the country.

Monkeypox in India: The VK Paul-led team will provide guidance to the government on the expansion of diagnostic facilities in the country, it will explore emerging trends related to vaccination for the disease.

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New Delhi: A task force, headed by Dr VK Paul, NITI Aayog member (health), has been constituted to closely monitor the emerging monkeypox situation in the country and decide on response initiatives to tackle the spread of the infection, news agency PTI reported citing official sources said on Monday.

The team will also provide guidance to the government on the expansion of diagnostic facilities in the country. It will explore emerging trends related to vaccination for the disease, the sources said.

According to PTI, the decision to constitute a task force to track the monkeypox situation was taken at a high-level meeting held on July 26 at the level of the principal secretary to the Prime Minister to review the ongoing public health preparedness in the country.

Kerala Man Dies After Monkeypox Infection

The development comes as samples of a 22-year-old man, who died in Kerala last week, have come out positive for monkeypox on Monday. The patient who died in Kerala had tested positive for Monkeypox in UAE. He arrived in India on July 22 and was admitted to a hospital on July 27 after again testing positive for Monkeypox disease, news agency ANI reported citing official sources.

India has reported a total of five cases of Monkeypox so far.

Directions For Monkeypox

According to official sources cited by PTI, the National Aids Control Organisation and the Directorate General of Health Services in the Health Ministry have been directed to work on a targeted communication strategy to promote timely reporting, detection of cases, and management of cases.

The authorities have been instructed to operationalise the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) network of labs and make arrangements for requisite diagnostics of monkeypox disease.

The Union Health Ministry undertook initiatives including strengthening health screening at Points of Entry and operationalisation of 15 laboratories under the ICMR to undertake testing for monkeypox disease.

Comprehensive guidelines were issued on the disease covering both public health as well as clinical management aspects. Regular interactions with states have been held virtually while Central multidisciplinary teams were deployed to affected states.

Guidelines For Monkeypox Infection

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern as globally, over 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported from 75 countries.

According to the WHO, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis -- a virus transmitted to humans from animals -- with symptoms similar to smallpox although deemed clinically less severe.

In terms of symptoms, monkeypox manifests itself with fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes and can lead to a range of medical complications. It is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting for two to four weeks.

According to the 'Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease' issued by the Centre, human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through large respiratory droplets generally requiring prolonged close contact.

It can also be transmitted through direct contact with body fluids or lesions, and indirect contact with lesion material such as through contaminated clothing or linen of an infected person. Animal-to-human transmission may occur by bite or scratch of infected animals or through bush meat preparation.

The symptoms include lesions which usually begin within one to three days from the onset of fever, lasting for around two to four weeks and are often described as painful until the healing phase when they become itchy. A notable predilection for palm and soles is characteristic of monkeypox, the guidelines stated.

The incubation period is usually from six to 13 days and the case fatality rate of monkeypox has historically ranged up to 11 per cent in the general population and higher among children. In recent times, the case fatality rate has been around three to six per cent, PTI reported.

(With Agency Inputs)