Monkeypox In India: Centre Releases Fresh Guidelines For International Travellers. Read Details Here
A day after the first case of monkeypox was reported in India, the Center Friday released a list of new guidelines to fight the disease.
Monkeypox in India: A day after the first case of monkeypox was reported in India, the Center Friday released a list of new guidelines for international travellers to fight the disease. According to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health to fight the infection of monkeypox, international travellers should “avoid contact with sick people”.
Monkeypox: India issues guidelines for international travellers
• International travellers should avoid close contact with sick people.
•Avoid contact with dead or live wild animals, including rodents (mice, squirrels) and non-human primates (monkeys, apes)
• Eating or preparing meat from wild game (shrubs) or using products derived from wild animals from Africa (cream, lotion, powders )
• Coming into contact with contaminated materials used by sick people such as clothing, bedding or materials used in health care settings or materials that have come into contact with infected animals.
Monkeypox: When to consult the doctor
In another directive issued by the Health Ministry, it urged people to immediately consult the nearest health facility in two situations –
- If you are in an area where monkeypox has been reported.
- If you come into contact with someone who may have had monkeypox.
Monkeypox in India: What do we know so far
• The Health Ministry on Thursday confirmed that India reported its first monkeypox case with a traveller from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who had come to Kerala three days ago.
• The Center sent a high-level multi-disciplinary team to Kerala to collaborate with the state health authorities in setting up public health measures in the wake of a confirmed case of monkeypox in Kerala’s Kollam district.
• The Kerala central team included experts from the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi and senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as well as the Regional Office of Health and Family Welfare, Kerala.
• The team will work closely with state health departments to take stock of the ground situation and recommend necessary public health interventions. The Health Ministry said that the Center is taking proactive steps in case of the possibility of such an outbreak by carefully monitoring the situation and coordinating with the states.
• Kerala Health Minister Veena George said, “A positive case of monkeypox has been reported. He is a traveller from UAE. He reached the state on 12 July. He reached Trivandrum airport and all steps are being taken as per the guidelines issued by WHO and ICMR”.
• The Center on Thursday wrote a letter to all states and union territories, reiterating some of the key actions needed to contain the spread of the disease.
• The Health Secretary asked all the States and Union Territories to take important action such as orientation and regular re-orientation of all key stakeholders, including entry points (PoEs), disease surveillance teams, and doctors working in hospitals, for common symptoms and health screening teams about symptoms Differential diagnosis, the definition of cases for suspected/probable/confirmed cases and contacts, contact tracing and other surveillance activities that need to be undertaken following the detection of a case, testing, IPC protocols, clinical management etc.
• The Center has also asked to investigate and investigate all suspected cases at entry points and communities. The health secretary said, “Isolating patients (until all wounds are resolved and the scabs have completely fallen off), ulcer protection, symptomatic and supportive treatment, continuous monitoring and timely monitoring of complications.” Treatments are important measures to prevent mortality.”
What is monkeypox
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted from animals to humans) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in patients with smallpox, although it is clinically less severe.
Monkeypox is spread to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or material contaminated with the virus. The WHO said it is a self-limiting disease with symptoms typically lasting two to four weeks.
The monkeypox virus is spread from person to person through close contact with contaminated material such as wounds, body fluids, respiratory droplets and bedding.
Brief: India on Friday announced new guidelines to fight monkeypox as the country reported its first case of the disease.
