Another case of monkeypox has been confirmed in Delhi, taking the national tally to nine. Oh According to the news agency, a 31-year-old Nigerian woman in Delhi has tested positive for monkey pox. PTI Reported with reference to sources.
This is the fourth case of monkeypox in Delhi. Earlier, two Nigerian nationals with no recent history of foreign travel tested positive for monkeypox in the national capital.
Meanwhile, a task force on monkey pox has been constituted to keep a close eye on the emerging situation in the country and decide on response measures to tackle the spread of the disease.
The decision to form the task force was taken at a high-level meeting held on July 26 at the level of the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister to review the ongoing public health preparations in the country.
The task force will be headed by Dr VK Pal, Member (Health), NITI Aayog. The National AIDS Control Organization and the Directorate General of Health Services in the Ministry of Health have been asked to work on a targeted communication strategy to promote timely reporting, case detection and case management, an official source said.
According to the WHO, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis, a virus transmitted from animals to humans, with symptoms similar to smallpox although clinically less severe. Monkey pox usually presents with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and can lead to a variety of medical complications. It is usually a self-limiting illness with symptoms lasting two to four weeks.
While India’s first case was reported from Kerala on July 14, Union Health Minister Mansukh Madhyaya had long before said that the Center had issued directives to all states on May 1, 2022, not just international airports. , about monitoring procedures and contact tracing. How to collect samples from suspected cases and send them to accredited laboratories for testing.
He said that the disease spreads only through close and intimate contact, adding that there is no threat to any particular community and that the government has taken steps to create awareness about common symptoms, reporting of suspected cases and prevention of the disease. .
As of July 27, 2022, WHO has reported 18,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox and five deaths from 78 countries globally, Mandavia said.
The Centre’s ‘Guidelines on the Management of Monkeypox Disease’ state that human-to-human transmission is mainly through large respiratory droplets, which usually require prolonged close contact. The virus can also be spread through direct contact with bodily fluids or wounds, and through indirect contact with wound materials such as contaminated clothing or clothing of an infected person. Transmission from animals to humans can occur through bites or scratches from infected animals or through the preparation of bush meat.
Read more: Is monkeypox a global threat? Is it mainly spread through sexual contact? Top official answers from WHO
On July 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued its highest level of alert for monkeypox and declared the virus a public health concern of international concern, after more than 16,000 cases and five deaths were reported from 75 countries. declared an emergency (PHEIC). The World Health Organization also called on nations to work with communities of men who have sex with men and adopt measures that protect the health, human rights and dignity of affected communities.
(With input from PTI)
