Authorities at international airports and ports in India have been ordered to monitor passengers arriving from Bangladesh and Pakistan for symptoms of mpox.
India has not reported any cases of the virus so far and the current assessment indicates a low risk of a major outbreak with sustained transmission.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported the first detection of mpox in four East African countries (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda), all of which have been linked to the Congo epidemic.
The new variant of the mpox virus has been found to cause milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals, compared to previous outbreaks where lesions occurred mainly on the chest, hands and feet. This makes it harder to detect the virus as people can transmit it without knowing they are infected.
Mpox: Major Updates
1) The Union Health Ministry has identified three government hospitals in Delhi as key centres to isolate, manage and treat Mpox patients. These hospitals include Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Hospital in the national capital.
2) Additionally, each state government is instructed to identify designated hospitals within its jurisdiction to ensure preparedness.
3) Officials have been instructed to enhance surveillance and take effective measures to ensure prompt action if mpox is identified in the country.
4) On August 18, PK Mishra, principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chaired a high-level meeting to assess India’s preparedness to deal with mpox, with enhanced surveillance efforts for early detection.
5) The WHO has recently classified mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) due to its widespread incidence in several regions of Africa. According to a WHO update, nearly 99,176 cases and 208 mpox-related deaths have been recorded in 116 countries since 2022.
6) The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been hit hard this year, accounting for 97 percent of reported mpox cases. Particularly alarming is the fact that children have been hit the hardest, accounting for more than 70 percent of cases and 85 percent of deaths. On August 19, the country’s health minister announced that Congo will receive its first vaccine doses from the U.S. next week. The DRC will need 3 million vaccine doses to combat its outbreak.
7) Last week, Sweden detected a new variant of the mpox virus. While authorities said the risk to the general public is low, they expect sporadic imported cases to continue.
(With contributions from the agency)
First published: August 20, 2024 | 11:34 a.m. IS
Disclaimer
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.