A total of four cases of monkeypox have been detected in India so far and one suspected case was detected in Telangana today.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has sounded its highest level of alert for monkeypox and declared the virus as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).
Here is the full list of monkeypox cases in India:
One case in Delhi:
A 34-year-old man from the national capital with no history of foreign travel tested positive for the monkeypox virus.
Three cases in Kerala:
Kerala confirmed its third monkeypox case Friday (July 22) after a 35-year-old man, who reached the state from the UAE earlier this month, tested positive for the zoonotic virus.
The second case of monkeypox was reported from Kerala's Kannur district on 18 July where a 31-year-old man had contracted the infection and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.
The first case of the monkeypox virus in the state was reported on 14 July after a UAE traveller returned to Kerala.
Suspected monkeypox case in Telangana:
A Telangana man was suspected to have contracted monkeypox disease. As per reports, a 40-year-old man from Indiranagar Colony, Kamareddy district showed monkeypox symptoms. The patient, who had returned from Kuwait on July 6, was shifted to the monkeypox isolation ward at the Fever Hospital in Nallakunta and tested on Sunday evening.
Centre holds high-level meeting:
The Centre on Sunday held a high-level review meeting after a 34-year-old man from the national capital with no history of foreign travel tested positive for the monkeypox virus, making it the fourth case of the disease reported in India.
Sources said the meeting was chaired by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and attended by officials from the Health ministry, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and ICMR among others.
Monkeypox declared global health emergency by WHO:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) had on Saturday declared monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern.
Monkeypox virus is transmitted from infected animals to humans via indirect or direct contact. Human-to-human transmission can occur through direct contact with infectious skin or lesions, including face-to-face, skin-to-skin, and respiratory droplets.
Globally, over 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported from 75 countries and there have been five deaths so far due to the outbreak.
In the WHO South-East Asia Region, besides India, one case has been detected in Thailand The Health Ministry had last week reviewed the screening procedure of international travellers arriving in India at airports and ports after cases of the virus were reported in the country.
What is monkeypox?
According to the WHO, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.
Monkeypox typically presents with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications.
It is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting for two to four weeks.
In the 'Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease' issued to states and UTs, the Centre has stated that human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through large respiratory droplets generally requiring prolonged close contact.
The incubation period (interval from infection to onset of symptoms) of monkeypox is usually from 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 days, the document stated.
The case fatality ratio of monkeypox has historically ranged from 0 to 11 per cent in the general population and has been higher among young children. In recent times, the case fatality ratio has been around three to six per cent.
The symptoms include lesions which usually begin within 1-3 days of fever onset, lasting for around two-four weeks and are often described as painful until the healing phase when they become itchy (in the crust stage).
(with sources inputs)
