The Health Ministry has confirmed that a recent suspected case of Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) in India is linked to travel. On September 9, 2024, the Ministry stated that laboratory tests have identified the virus as Mpox of the West African clade 2. This case is isolated and not connected to the current public health emergency involving Mpox clade 1, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO).
India Confirms Mpox Case
This patient is a young man who was presented to the hospital a few days from the country with the Mpox virus transmission is active; he is confined in a special care facility. His condition is said to be stable and there are no signs of him having a life threatening disease or other health complications. The Health Ministry is not taking any chances as they are following all required procedures of handling such cases such as tracings and monitoring to ensure that there is no spread of the virus.
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In all the regions of the world, genital contact is reported to be the main mode of transmission of Mpox followed by close physical contact. Young people and more so male predominant with a median age of 34 years. Some of the common signs found to have occurred include skin reactions which could be systemic or genital skin reactions and fever. The WHO revealed that around 50 percent of all Mpox cases are observed in people with HIV/AIDS.
In response to the confirmed case, the Health Ministry has said that all the states and union territories have been advised to train other health care providers especially general practitioners, skin and STD clinic counselors for Mpox identification, and for its diagnosis and management. Healthcare workers are trained to isolate anyone with suspected cases and guidelines that need to be followed to manage him/her.
The Ministry has also issued advisories that health units on airports must enhance the assessment of passengers for signs of Mpox. Facilities in laboratories coming under the Indian Council of Medical Research have been upgraded to deal with samples from possible patients.
Currently, WHO has labeled this ongoing global outbreak of Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern due to more cases detected especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the spread of the disease to other countries in East Africa. What WHO has come up with is the fact that the risk of Mpox spreading outside Africa is moderate.
The Health Ministry has asked all states to educate communities about the disease, its modes of transmission, and the importance of early detection and reporting. However, it has also emphasized the need to avoid creating panic. Healthcare facilities have been directed to communicate clear and simple preventive measures to the community and ensure prompt reporting of any suspected cases.
The Ministry continues to monitor the situation closely and has called for efforts to control the spread of the virus, including targeted surveillance and community interventions for high-risk groups.
