Fifteen suspected monkeypox cases were reported across Maharashtra, of which all the samples have turned out to be negative, as per the state health department.
The samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. Health officials said that they have increased surveillance and started monitoring international travellers and their close contacts for symptoms.
“Currently there is not a single case of monkeypox as all the samples sent to NIV Pune have turned negative so there is no need for panic. However, we cannot disclose the information of patients as it will create problems for them and their relatives. Meanwhile, we have instructed all the municipal corporations and Zilla Parishad officials to keep a close tab on international passengers and continue with surveillance and should send samples of suspected and closed ones to the laboratories,” said a senior health official.
Moreover, those who have come from abroad in the last one month and their close contacts are also under surveillance. People should self-report symptoms to health authorities.
Although monkeypox is not as dangerous or infectious as its cousin "smallpox", the World Health Organisation recently declared it a health emergency.
For the first time ever, the monkeypox virus that was mainly found in a few African countries has spread across 75 countries within less than two months and infected over 19,000 people.
Some common symptoms of the disease include skin rashes, fever, muscle ache, intense headaches, swollen lymph nodes, lesions, low energy, and back pain.
Rashes, a common symptom of this disease, go through different stages before it is completely healed. Sometimes, monkeypox patients get a rash first, followed by other symptoms, while others only experience a rash.
Further, it transmits from an infected patient to the next through lesions, contaminated materials such as bedding, clothing, body fluids, utensils used by the infected person and respiratory droplets.
Monkeypox can also spread through respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face, or intimate physical contact, including sex.
Meanwhile, Executive Health Officer, Mangala Gomare said that they have also instructed all the ward officers and medical health officers to watch for monkeypox symptoms or any suspected cases in their wards.
Monkeypox's long incubation period- the gap between infection and symptom onset of two to three weeks- will need follow-ups and self-reporting as several international passengers are likely to be asymptomatic at arrival.
Treatment and Prevention:
When a person is infected with monkeypox, there is no proven treatment method, although symptomatic treatment is generally followed as a protocol. Besides medicines and vaccines like cidofovir and vaccinia immunoglobulin, some antivirals might also be effective.
As per the WHO guidelines, the antiviral developed and approved to treat smallpox (tecovirimat, commercialized as TPOXX) can effectively be used to treat monkeypox.
If a person is infected in the house, it is essential to isolate them and inform a specialized doctor at the earliest. Additionally, good hygiene habits like washing hands, masking, and social distancing, are also effective measures to prevent the spread of this disease. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks.
The mortality rate for monkeypox is relatively low and generally goes away with just oral medicines. However, since cases are spreading around the globe, it is essential to maintain high hygiene standards and refrain from crowded places to help control further virus spread, says Dr Anita Mathew, Infectious Disease Specialist, Fortis Hospital, Mulund.
