Delhi reports 1st case of Monkeypox, total 4 cases now in India
1 min read 24 Jul 2022, 01:20 PM ISTGlobally, more than 16,000 monkeypox cases have been detected prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the Monkeypox outbreak as a global health emergency
PremiumNew Delhi: Delhi reports the first case of monkeypox after a 31-year-old man from West Delhi showed symptoms of the disease, officials confirmed on Sunday.
“The patient who had come to Himachal Pradesh a few days back is now admitted to the Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) with symptoms such as fever and body lesions, said the official.
“Patient’s samples were sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune where scientists confirmed it positive," stated the official adding that contact tracing has been started.
Previously, three cases of monkeypox have been reported in Kerala and all three patients are under observation of doctors. With these new cases in Delhi, India has now a total of four laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox.
Globally, more than 16,000 monkeypox cases have been detected prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the Monkeypox outbreak as a global health emergency.
Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease with symptoms similar to smallpox, although with less clinical severity. Human-to-human transmission is known to occur primarily through large respiratory droplets generally requiring prolonged close contact. It can also be transmitted through direct contact with body fluids or lesion material, and indirect contact with lesion material, such as through contaminated clothing or linens of an infected person.
The Union health ministry advised all states/UTs to ensure strict health screening of all arriving international travellers which can minimize the risk of importation of monkeypox cases into the country.
Furthermore, the health ministry has advised state health authorities to coordinate with other stakeholder agencies like immigration at international ports and airports to streamline health screening processes besides ensuring suitable linkages with hospital facilities earmarked to each port of entry for timely referral and isolation.
