India’s first monkeypox case was confirmed in Kollam, Kerala, on Thursday, as a man, who recently returned from UAE, tested positive for the virus. The man landed in Thiruvananthapuram on July 12, after which he showed mild symptoms of monkeypox and was admitted to a hospital. His samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology. The patient, however, is said to be stable now.
Nevertheless, Kerala’s Health Minister Veena George has assured that the administration is taking all the necessary steps. Besides, the central government has sent a team of experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to assist the state.
The state has also identified the person’s primary contacts apart from his family members. They have sought out the taxi driver, an auto driver as well as 11 passengers who were seated near him on flights. The government authorities have insisted that they were taking all the precautions and there was no need to be alarmed.
Earlier this week, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote a letter to all the states and alerted them of the rising monkeypox cases in America and Europe. This letter came after World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that a total of 3,413 monkeypox cases had been reported this year, most of which were in Europe and America. Bhushan urged the states to be prepared and proactively strengthen their public health services.
Monkeypox has rarely been seen outside of Africa’s western and central regions. However, a few cases of the viral disease were identified two months back in the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Spain. This alarmed the scientists and spread panic throughout world, which braced itself for another threat. This disease has become the next potential pandemic after Coronavirus.
Symptoms of Monkeypox are similar to that of other diseases like syphilis or chickenpox. The rashes in Monkeypox shall appear on the face, hands, mouth, or genitals. This virus can be transmitted through the places the infected person has been to/ touched, exposure to such surfaces and materials should be avoided. Distance must be observed from other people and isolation should be undertaken as prevention.
Doctors have shared that the vaccination against smallpox may work for Monkeypox as well, with an efficacy of about 85%.
