The state’s public health department has sent out an advisory for screening of Monkeypox cases, after which the BMC has started preparing for it by keeping an isolated facility ready in case of suspected cases in Mumbai.
According to the BMC's public health office, a separate 28- bed ward number 30 at Kasturba Hospital has been reserved for admission of suspected or confirmed Monkeypox cases.
As of May 23, no such cases have been reported in the city so far. BMC executive health officer Dr Mangala Gomare said, "We have started preparation for isolation and management of suspected cases of Monkeypox. The airport authorities are screening passengers coming from endemic and non-endemic countries showing outbreaks.
For isolation of suspected cases, a separate ward at Kasturba Hospital has been reserved and their samples will be sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune laboratory for testing." All health facilities of Mumbai are being informed to notify and refer any suspected case to Kasturba Hospital, she added. Monkeypox can be transmitted from human to human as well as animal to human.
The virus enters the body through broken skin, respiratory tract, or mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth).The condition is less contagious than smallpox and causes less severe illness. The disease typically presents clinical symptoms like fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications.
It is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting from 2 to 4 weeks. Severe cases can occur but fatality rate may vary from 1-10 per cent. The incubation period is usually 7-14 days but can range from 5-21 days and the person is usually not contagious during this period. An infected person may transmit the disease in a day or two before the appearance of the rash and remain contagious till all the scabs fall off.
Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of central and west Africa, and is occasionally exported to other regions. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday reported that there were a total of 92 confirmed cases in 12 countries, with 28 suspected casesunder investigation.
Cases of Monkeypox have been confirmed in the UK, Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Spain,France, Belgium,Germany, the US, Canada and Australia
