BackMonkeypox: People with travel history to these nations should get tested, says ICMR
Monkeypox Outbreak: Anybody who has a travel history to countries where we are getting these cases can get themselves tested. We should not panic, said Dr Aparna Mukherjee
PremiumNEW DELHI : Dr Aparna Mukherjee, Scientist, ICMR during an interview to news agency ANI on the growing cases of Monkeypox cases worldwide stated that Monkeypox cases are being reported from endemic countries of Europe and US.
The health expert from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) further stated that people with a travel history to countries in Europe and US which has reported cases of Monkeypox should get themselves tested.
“Anybody who has a travel history to these countries where we are getting these cases can get themselves tested. We should not panic", Mukherjee said.
She also confirmed that the virus is only spread by ‘very close contact’ and therefore one need not panic because India has not reported a single case of Monkeypox virus yet.
"People should not get panic about this disease, its symptoms as it usually spreads by very close contact. There are set guidelines for it which have already been published from ICMR- NIV," the ICMR official stated.
The ICMR scientist during the interview also said that India is prepared for any kind of Monkeypox outbreak and that the government is keeping a close watch on the development of the situation.
"India is prepared for the infections as it is rapidly spreading in non-endemic countries like Europe, USA and others. However, no cases have been reported in India so far." she said.
“In India, we haven't had any case (of Monkeypox) yet and Government is keeping a watch," she added.
Officials aware of the situation have said that the Union Health Ministry will soon be releasing guidelines on Monkeypox.
The guidelines will include principles of management like isolation, contact tracing, contact monitoring, preventive measures, and risk assessment.
"The guidelines will include the advisory for international travellers. They should avoid close contact with sick people, contact with dead or live, wild animals such as mammals including rodents and non-human primates (monkeys, apes), and contact with contaminated materials used by sick people should also be avoided. Consult the nearest health facility if you develop symptoms suggestive of Monkeypox like fever with rash or in case you were in an area where Monkeypox has been reported or in case you came in contact with a person who has symptoms of Monkeypox," they added
Further in the interview, Mukherjee emphasised on keeping a close watch on unusual symptoms, especially those who have a travel history from the monkeypox-infected countries.
“It usually comes with high-grade fever, lot of body ache a nd other symptoms. Rashes develop after 2-3 days," she stated.
"We should observe the unusual symptoms like high fever, a lot of lymphadenopathies, large lymph nodes, body ache, rashes, etc, especially those who have travel history from infected countries," Dr Mukherjee said.
"People who witness the symptoms can get tested, either from the fluid that comes out of those lesions or the respiratory samples and like National Institute of virology has the setting for testing these viruses," she added.
She said, "Kids are more susceptible to the infection. The elderly people would be vaccinated with the smallpox vaccine. After the 1980s, people who did not get the smallpox vaccine that gives cross-immunity to fight against the infection, so the younger people will be more susceptible. The treatment is the same for both children and adults."
This has been also reported in certain non-endemic countries including the USA, UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Austria, Canary Islands, Israel, and Switzerland.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), non-endemic countries are those wherein the present series of outbreaks are being reported, but it is for the first time that chains of transmission are being reported without known epidemiological links.
A positive case will be considered only if it is confirmed for the monkeypox virus (by detection of unique sequences of viral DNA either by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or sequencing).
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