Monkeypox Scare: Health Ministry Directs Officials To Keep Close Watch, Isolate Infected Patients

Cases of Monkeypox have been reported from the UK, the USA, Portugal, Spain, and some other European countries.

(Representative Image/ Getty)

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing scare of Monkeypox cases reported in several parts of USA, Euprope and West Africa, the Health Ministry on Friday directed the concerned authorities to keep a strict vigil on the situation. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has asked the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to take measures to contain the spread of the deadly virus in the country. 

Union health ministry has also directed airport and port health officers to be vigilant, a Health Ministry official told news agency PTI.

"They have been instructed that any sick passenger with a travel history to Monkeypox-affected countries be isolated and samples sent to the BSL4 facility of the National Institute of Virology in Pune for an investigation," the official said.

What Is Monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a rare viral disease similar to smallpox, but a milder form caused by the monkey pox virus. 

Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting from two to four weeks. It can also take a severe from, with the WHO saying the case fatality ratio has been around 3-6 per cent in recent times.

The virus can be transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that close physical contact is a well-known risk factor for transmission of Monkeypox, however, it is unclear at this time if it can be transmitted specifically through sexual transmission routes.

Monkeypox Symptoms

The most common disease symptoms in monkeypox are fever, swollen lymph nodes, general malaise and rash with blisters. In European cases, the skin problems have often been reported to be localized to the genitals, groin and the skin around the anal opening.

The clinical presentation of monkeypox resembles that of smallpox.

Monkeypox Outbreak

The first case of the Monkeypox was reported on May 7 in the UK. The patient had recently travelled to Nigeria, where they are believed to have caught the virus before travelling to England.

Even the United States of America (USA) has confirmed the first case of Monkeypox in a Massachusetts man.

Italy, Sweden, Australia and Canada have joined a slew of countries with confirmed cases of monkeypox, signalling a global outbreak.

Monkeypox Vaccine

Though there is no vaccine approved for Monkeypox in Europe, but the US Food and Drug Administration had in 2019 approved a vaccine called 'Jynneos' to prevent the infections, which also protects against smallpox.

(With inputs from agencies.)