The government announced that India has reported the first suspected case of Mpox (monkeypox) and added that there is no cause for concern.
It has, however, advised the states and union territories to screen, test, and trace contacts of all suspect Mpox cases as well as identify isolation facilities in hospitals.
In a letter to states and union territories, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra asked them to prevent “any undue panic” among the masses.
Earlier, the health ministry said in a statement on 8 August, “A young male patient, who recently traveled from a country currently experiencing Mpox (monkeypox) transmission, has been identified as a suspect case of Mpox. The patient has been isolated in a designated hospital and is currently stable.”
The ministry said samples from the patient are being tested to confirm the presence of Mpox. The case is being managed in line with established protocols, and contact tracing is being conducted to identify potential sources and assess the impact within the country.
The development of this case is consistent with the earlier risk assessment conducted by the NCDC and there is no cause of any undue concern. The ministry said India is fully prepared to deal with such isolated travel-related cases and has robust measures in place to manage and mitigate any potential risk.
Just after the WHO global alert, the ministry in August incorporated suggestions from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which included updated alerts identifying sick patients at the ports of entry; isolation of suspected and confirmed cases; lab tests; symptoms, prevention, reporting of patients to the hospitals; surveillance strategies; community awareness; and hospital infection control measures.
The new Mpox strain found in Africa is more lethal than the previous one detected in 2022 and can also spread through sexual contact.
The article has been slightly modified to include the Center’s advisory to states.
