New Delhi: As India reported the first suspected case of Monkeypox (mpox) on Sunday, the Centre on Monday suggested to screen and test all suspected mpox patients. It also recommended to isolate confirmed cases, and called for contact tracing to “prevent and/or minimise risk of any case or death due to mpox in the country”.
The states and Union Territories were also advised to identify and prepare isolation facilities in hospitals for both suspect as well as confirmed patients. In a letter shot off to states and UTs, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra asked them to prevent “any undue panic” among the masses.
“No new case of mpox has been reported in India in the current outbreak, and none of the samples in suspected cases have tested positive,” he pointed out. However, he stressed on the need to stay alert.
Situation being closely monitored
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is closely monitoring the evolving situation. The Ministry also suggested to disseminate guidelines on “management of monkeypox disease” and of a comprehensive surveillance strategy to track suspected cases and contact tracing. The ministry also emphasised on “review of public health preparedness, particularly at health facility level at state and districts by senior officials”.
The Health Ministry on Sunday had said that India’s lone suspected case of mpox was reported in Delhi in a man who recently returned to India from abroad. The patient was placed under isolation in a designated hospital, it pointed out, and added that he is currently stable.
The WHO says that till now, more than 120 countries have reported mpox cases from January 2022 to August 2024. Over 100,000 lab-confirmed cases and around 220 deaths have been reported. On August 14, 2024, the WHO declared mpox a public health emergency of global concern. Soon after this, the Health Ministry included suggestions from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in August.
