Tag: Monkeypox

  • Bihar reports second suspected case of monkeypox, patient in home isolation

    Express News Service

    PATNA: Senior officials of the state health department are virtually on their toes after another suspected case of monkeypox was detected in Bihar’s Nalanda district on Wednesday.

    A senior official of the health department said, “A man with symptoms of monkeypox was admitted to hospital in Nalanda today. Samples were collected and sent for test to National Institute of Virology at Pune.”

    The official said the test report would be available in four-five days. Till then, the patient, stated to be a resident of Rajgir in Nalanda district, has been asked to stay in home isolation, the official revealed.

    The officials of Nalanda health department are monitoring the line of treatment. Earlier, a woman was found to be suffering from monkeypox in Patna City’s Gurhatta locality. A medical team from Patna Medical College and Hospital collected sample of the woman for test.

    ALSO READ | World witnessing unexpected emergence of Monkeypox: WHO’s Dr Poonam Khetrapal

    The officials said that the state didn’t have the testing facility. So the samples were sent to National Institute of Virology at Pune. “Normally it takes four-five days to get the test report,” Patna civil surgeon Dr KK Rai said.

    On Monday, Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey held a high level meeting with senior officials of the department. The minister directed the department officials to make people aware of symptoms of the viral zoonotic disease as per the guidelines of the union government and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

    According to medical experts, the disease has similar symptoms to smallpox, although it has less clinical severity. The health department officials across the state have been asked to follow standard operating procedures while dealing with the infected people.

    On July 23, the WHO declared declared Monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern.

    PATNA: Senior officials of the state health department are virtually on their toes after another suspected case of monkeypox was detected in Bihar’s Nalanda district on Wednesday.

    A senior official of the health department said, “A man with symptoms of monkeypox was admitted to hospital in Nalanda today. Samples were collected and sent for test to National Institute of Virology at Pune.”

    The official said the test report would be available in four-five days. Till then, the patient, stated to be a resident of Rajgir in Nalanda district, has been asked to stay in home isolation, the official revealed.

    The officials of Nalanda health department are monitoring the line of treatment. Earlier, a woman was found to be suffering from monkeypox in Patna City’s Gurhatta locality. A medical team from Patna Medical College and Hospital collected sample of the woman for test.

    ALSO READ | World witnessing unexpected emergence of Monkeypox: WHO’s Dr Poonam Khetrapal

    The officials said that the state didn’t have the testing facility. So the samples were sent to National Institute of Virology at Pune. “Normally it takes four-five days to get the test report,” Patna civil surgeon Dr KK Rai said.

    On Monday, Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey held a high level meeting with senior officials of the department. The minister directed the department officials to make people aware of symptoms of the viral zoonotic disease as per the guidelines of the union government and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

    According to medical experts, the disease has similar symptoms to smallpox, although it has less clinical severity. The health department officials across the state have been asked to follow standard operating procedures while dealing with the infected people.

    On July 23, the WHO declared declared Monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern.

  • Monkeypox suspect with foreign travel history admitted to Delhi’s LNJP Hospital: Sources

    One of the contacts of the monkeypox-infected resident of Delhi has complained of body ache and is being monitored to check for any other symptoms, the sources said.

  • World witnessing unexpected emergence of Monkeypox: WHO’s Dr Poonam Khetrapal

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Dr Poonam Khetrapal, Regional Director of the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region on Monday said that the world is witnessing an unexpected emergence of Monkeypox.

    When asked about the reason behind Monkeypox gaining attention at present, Poonam Khetrapal said, “Cases of Monkeypox are being reported from multiple countries. Many of them have not seen cases of Monkeypox before. The unexpected appearance of this disease globally and in a wide geographic area indicates that the disease may have been circulating below the detection of the surveillance systems. It is possible that sustained human-to-human transmission through close contact – direct or indirect – remained undetected for a period of time.”

    “The risk of monkeypox globally and the WHO South-East Asia Region has assessed it as moderate considering this is the first time that Monkeypox cases and clusters are reported concurrently in many countries in widely disparate WHO geographical areas, balanced against the fact that mortality has remained low in the current outbreak.”

    “Genomic studies have revealed that the monkeypox virus seems to have changed over recent years. More studies are needed to understand the virus’s evolution. WHO is regularly reviewing available data with its laboratory and other expert groups,” she added.

    Speaking on what measures India should take for the prevention and control of Monkeypox, she said, “In the current Monkeypox outbreak, transmission apparently occurred primarily through close physical contact, including sexual contact. Transmission can also occur from contaminated materials such as linens, bedding, electronics, and clothing, that have infectious skin particles. There are still many unknowns about the virus.”

    “Since the start of the outbreak, WHO has been supporting countries to assess risk, and initiating public health measures, while also building and facilitating testing capacities in the region. Engaging and protecting the affected communities; intensifying surveillance and public health measures; strengthening clinical management and infection prevention and control in hospitals and clinics; and accelerating research into the use of vaccines, therapeutics and other tools, are among the key response measures. We need to stay alert and be prepared to roll out an intense response to curtail the spread of Monkeypox. And while doing this, our efforts and measures should be sensitive, and devoid of stigma and discrimination,” she added.

    When asked about the risk of transmission in South East Asian countries, Dr Khetrapal said, “The region has been on alert for Monkeypox since the reporting of an increase in cases globally. Countries have been taking measures to rapidly detect and take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of monkeypox. WHO has been supporting the member countries in the Region to assess the risk for monkeypox and strengthening their capacities to prepare and respond to the evolving multi-country outbreak. We have been sharing guidance for raising awareness; surveillance, case investigation and contact tracing; laboratory diagnostics and testing; clinical management and infection prevention and control and community engagement.”

    Speaking on the preparedness to deal with Monkeypox, Dr Poonam Khetrapal said,The region has been on alert for Monkeypox since the reporting of an increase in cases globally. Countries have been taking measures to rapidly detect and take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of monkeypox. WHO has been supporting the member countries in the Region to assess the risk for monkeypox and strengthening their capacities to prepare and respond to the evolving multi-country outbreak. We have been sharing guidance for raising awareness; surveillance, case investigation and contact tracing; laboratory diagnostics and testing; clinical management and infection prevention and control and community engagement.”

    “In view of the limited testing capacities in the region for monkeypox, WHO has coordinated with four laboratories to serve as referrals – National Institute of Virology, India; Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Australia; National Institute of Health, Department of Medical Sciences, Thailand; and Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. WHO is also supporting countries in the region build testing capacities with technical assistance as well as procurement of required provisions that are high in demand and low in supplies globally. Orienting clinicians in both public and private sectors to identify, isolate, report and treat cases of monkeypox, are among the key priority measures,” she added.

    “Monkeypox requires collective attention and coordinated action to stop its further spread. In addition to using public health measures and ensuring health tools are available to at-risk populations and shared fairly, it is important to work with communities to ensure that people who are most at risk, have the information and support they need to protect themselves”

    According to the Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Region, newborns, children and people with underlying immune deficiencies may be at risk of more serious symptoms and death from monkeypox.

    “Health workers are also at higher risk due to longer virus exposure. There are no sufficient data regarding monkeypox infection during pregnancy, although limited data suggest that it may lead to adverse outcomes for the foetus,” she added.

    The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Sunday held a high-level review meeting after India reported the fourth confirmed case of Monkeypox.

    NEW DELHI: Dr Poonam Khetrapal, Regional Director of the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region on Monday said that the world is witnessing an unexpected emergence of Monkeypox.

    When asked about the reason behind Monkeypox gaining attention at present, Poonam Khetrapal said, “Cases of Monkeypox are being reported from multiple countries. Many of them have not seen cases of Monkeypox before. The unexpected appearance of this disease globally and in a wide geographic area indicates that the disease may have been circulating below the detection of the surveillance systems. It is possible that sustained human-to-human transmission through close contact – direct or indirect – remained undetected for a period of time.”

    “The risk of monkeypox globally and the WHO South-East Asia Region has assessed it as moderate considering this is the first time that Monkeypox cases and clusters are reported concurrently in many countries in widely disparate WHO geographical areas, balanced against the fact that mortality has remained low in the current outbreak.”

    “Genomic studies have revealed that the monkeypox virus seems to have changed over recent years. More studies are needed to understand the virus’s evolution. WHO is regularly reviewing available data with its laboratory and other expert groups,” she added.

    Speaking on what measures India should take for the prevention and control of Monkeypox, she said, “In the current Monkeypox outbreak, transmission apparently occurred primarily through close physical contact, including sexual contact. Transmission can also occur from contaminated materials such as linens, bedding, electronics, and clothing, that have infectious skin particles. There are still many unknowns about the virus.”

    “Since the start of the outbreak, WHO has been supporting countries to assess risk, and initiating public health measures, while also building and facilitating testing capacities in the region. Engaging and protecting the affected communities; intensifying surveillance and public health measures; strengthening clinical management and infection prevention and control in hospitals and clinics; and accelerating research into the use of vaccines, therapeutics and other tools, are among the key response measures. We need to stay alert and be prepared to roll out an intense response to curtail the spread of Monkeypox. And while doing this, our efforts and measures should be sensitive, and devoid of stigma and discrimination,” she added.

    When asked about the risk of transmission in South East Asian countries, Dr Khetrapal said, “The region has been on alert for Monkeypox since the reporting of an increase in cases globally. Countries have been taking measures to rapidly detect and take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of monkeypox. WHO has been supporting the member countries in the Region to assess the risk for monkeypox and strengthening their capacities to prepare and respond to the evolving multi-country outbreak. We have been sharing guidance for raising awareness; surveillance, case investigation and contact tracing; laboratory diagnostics and testing; clinical management and infection prevention and control and community engagement.”

    Speaking on the preparedness to deal with Monkeypox, Dr Poonam Khetrapal said,The region has been on alert for Monkeypox since the reporting of an increase in cases globally. Countries have been taking measures to rapidly detect and take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of monkeypox. WHO has been supporting the member countries in the Region to assess the risk for monkeypox and strengthening their capacities to prepare and respond to the evolving multi-country outbreak. We have been sharing guidance for raising awareness; surveillance, case investigation and contact tracing; laboratory diagnostics and testing; clinical management and infection prevention and control and community engagement.”

    “In view of the limited testing capacities in the region for monkeypox, WHO has coordinated with four laboratories to serve as referrals – National Institute of Virology, India; Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Australia; National Institute of Health, Department of Medical Sciences, Thailand; and Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. WHO is also supporting countries in the region build testing capacities with technical assistance as well as procurement of required provisions that are high in demand and low in supplies globally. Orienting clinicians in both public and private sectors to identify, isolate, report and treat cases of monkeypox, are among the key priority measures,” she added.

    “Monkeypox requires collective attention and coordinated action to stop its further spread. In addition to using public health measures and ensuring health tools are available to at-risk populations and shared fairly, it is important to work with communities to ensure that people who are most at risk, have the information and support they need to protect themselves”

    According to the Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Region, newborns, children and people with underlying immune deficiencies may be at risk of more serious symptoms and death from monkeypox.

    “Health workers are also at higher risk due to longer virus exposure. There are no sufficient data regarding monkeypox infection during pregnancy, although limited data suggest that it may lead to adverse outcomes for the foetus,” she added.

    The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Sunday held a high-level review meeting after India reported the fourth confirmed case of Monkeypox.

  • Monkeypox: Centre holds high-level meeting as India’s tally climbs

    By Online Desk

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Sunday held a high-level review meeting after a 34-year-old man from the national capital with no history of foreign travel tested positive for the monkeypox virus, making it the fourth case of the disease reported in India.

    Sources said the meeting was chaired by the Directorate General of Health Sciences (DGHS) and attended by officials from the Health ministry, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and ICMR among others.

    ALSO READ: Will the monkeypox outbreak turn into another pandemic? Here’s all you need to know

    The new patient who is presently recovering at a designated isolation centre at the Lok Nayak Hospital had attended a stag party in Manali in Himachal Pradesh recently, official sources told PTI.

    A resident of West Delhi, the patient was isolated at the Hospital around three days ago after he showed symptoms of the disease.

    His samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune on Saturday which came out positive, Union Health Ministry officials said.

    ALSO READ: 30 lesions; severe pain for a week: A New Yorker’s experience of monkeypox

    “The close contacts of the case have been identified and are under quarantine as per the Ministry of Health’s guidelines,” the health ministry said in a statement.

    Three cases of monkeypox had earlier been reported from Kerala.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday declared monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern.

    ALSO READ: Zika to monkeypox: How WHO decides a global health emergency

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Sunday held a high-level review meeting after a 34-year-old man from the national capital with no history of foreign travel tested positive for the monkeypox virus, making it the fourth case of the disease reported in India.

    Sources said the meeting was chaired by the Directorate General of Health Sciences (DGHS) and attended by officials from the Health ministry, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and ICMR among others.

    ALSO READ: Will the monkeypox outbreak turn into another pandemic? Here’s all you need to know

    The new patient who is presently recovering at a designated isolation centre at the Lok Nayak Hospital had attended a stag party in Manali in Himachal Pradesh recently, official sources told PTI.

    A resident of West Delhi, the patient was isolated at the Hospital around three days ago after he showed symptoms of the disease.

    His samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune on Saturday which came out positive, Union Health Ministry officials said.

    ALSO READ: 30 lesions; severe pain for a week: A New Yorker’s experience of monkeypox

    “The close contacts of the case have been identified and are under quarantine as per the Ministry of Health’s guidelines,” the health ministry said in a statement.

    Three cases of monkeypox had earlier been reported from Kerala.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday declared monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern.

    ALSO READ: Zika to monkeypox: How WHO decides a global health emergency

  • ‘Strengthen surveillance, public health measures for monkeypox’: WHO official

    In the WHO South-East Asia Region, four cases of monkeypox have been reported, three from India and one from Thailand.

  • Monkeypox: Health ministry issues advisory for international passengers

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Union health ministry advised international passengers on Tuesday to refrain from eating or preparing meat from wild game (bushmeat) or using products such as creams, lotions and powders derived from wild animals in Africa, besides avoiding close contacts with sick people, including those with skin lesions or genital lesions.

    The “Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease” issued to the states and Union territories include an annexure — advisory for international passengers — which recommends that these passengers should avoid contact with dead or live wild animals such as small mammals, including rodents (rats, squirrels) and non-human primates (monkeys, apes).

    It also advises avoiding contact with contaminated materials used by sick people such as clothing, bedding or materials used in healthcare settings or that came into contact with infected animals.

    Outlining the role of the APHOs and PHOs, the advisory states that they should remain in a state of alert, particularly for the passengers arriving from countries reporting monkeypox outbreaks.

    They should familiarise with the clinical presentation of monkeypox, undertake strict thermal screening, check the travel history of the passengers to the affected countries in the last 21 days and establish or strengthen the referral arrangements from airports and ports to the identified link hospitals.

    They should also familiarise the Bureau of Immigration, airline and state health personnel deployed with them about the disease, inform the airlines concerned about the detection of a suspect case for the purpose of the disinfection procedure to be followed in accordance with the standard guidelines.

    The guidelines state that international travellers should consult the nearest health facility if they develop symptoms suggestive of monkeypox such as fever with rash and were in an area where the disease has been reported or came in contact with a person who might have had the disease.

  • West Bengal asks hospitals to ready isolation beds for monkeypox cases 

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The West Bengal government has asked hospitals in the state to set up separate facilities to accommodate patients coming from abroad with symptoms of monkeypox, officials said on Friday.

    In an advisory, the Health Department asked hospitals to keep isolation beds ready and directed them to collect samples from suspected patients and send those to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology.

    “Although monkeypox has not been reported in India, but with new cases being detected from various countries, chances of this disease occurring in India cannot be ruled out,” the advisory said.

    The note was sent to all district administrations, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the superintendents of all medical colleges.

    Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) director-general Samiran Panda said, “At the moment, there is no evidence of monkeypox virus in the body of anyone in India, but we must maintain caution. Anyone coming from a foreign country or from abroad should be kept in isolation as soon as symptoms like fever and headache are seen.”