The central health ministry has asked the states and union territories to take measures so as to minimize the spread and lower the risk of death from Mpox after the first suspected case was reported in India.
On Monday, Health secretary Apurva Chandra issued an advisory asking the local authorities to review measures at public health facilities. He directed them to aware the public and health care workers posted in the skin, sexually transmitted diseases and National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) clinics about the common symptoms, diagnosis, isolation, mode of transmission, timely reporting, preventive measures and treatment of patients who contract the virus—previously known as Monkeypox.
India identified the first suspected case of Mpox on Sunday wherein the young male patient who travelled recently from a country has been isolated in a designated hospital and is presently stable. His samples have been sent for testing to confirm Mpox, and contact tracing is on to identify potential sources and transmission risks.
Chandra asked state authorities to follow the National Centre for Disease Control’s updated alert on Mpox. It details surveillance strategy, lists labs operationalized for testing, and provides measures for clinical management, infection prevention and control. The advisory recommended testing all suspected cases in the community either through hospital-based and targeted surveillance or at NACO’s intervention sites for MSM (men who have sex with men) and female sex workers.
Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox as a public health emergency of international concern or PHEIC—the second such alert in two years. This strain can also be transmitted through sexual contact. Notably, Mpox infections are self-limiting, lasting 2-4 weeks, and patients recover with medical care and management.
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