LIVE: Monkeypox - Latest news, updates, symptoms, treatment, cases in India, Delhi and other important details
LIVE: Monkeypox - Latest news, updates, symptoms, treatment, cases in India, Delhi and other important details
LIVE UPDATES: Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.
Monkeypox typically presents itself with fever, headache, rashes for up to three weeks, sore throat, cough and swollen lymph nodes.
The symptoms include lesions, which usually begin within one to three days of the onset of fever, last for around two to four weeks, and are often described as painful until the healing phase when they turn itchy (in the crust stage).
In May this year, multiple cases of monkeypox were identified in several non-endemic countries.
Globally, over 16,000 cases of monkeypox have now been reported from 75 countries and there have been five deaths so far due to the outbreak.
Here are all the LIVE UPDATES on Monkeypox:-
Latest Updates
Explainer: What is known about monkeypox
(PTI)
Q. What is monkeypox?
A. Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.
There are two distinct genetic clades of the monkeypox virus - the Central African (Congo Basin) clade and West African. The Congo Basin clade has historically caused more severe disease and is thought to be more transmissible.Q: What are the symptoms and what is the recovery period?
A: Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting two to four weeks. The case fatality ratio has historically ranged from zero to 11 per cent in the general population and has been higher among young children. In recent times, the case fatality ratio has been around three to six per cent.
Monkeypox typically presents itself with fever, headache, rashes for up to three weeks, sore throat, cough and swollen lymph nodes.
The symptoms include lesions, which usually begin within one to three days of the onset of fever, last for around two to four weeks, and are often described as painful until the healing phase when they turn itchy (in the crust stage).
A notable predilection for palm and soles is a characteristic of monkeypox.
Q. How does it spread?
A. Human-to-human transmission is known to occur primarily through large respiratory droplets generally requiring a 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.
Animal-to-human transmission may occur by bite or scratch of infected animals like small mammals, including rodents (rats, squirrels) and non-human primates (monkeys, apes) or through bush meat preparation.Q: What is the incubation period and the period of communicability?
A: The incubation period (interval from infection to onset of symptoms) is usually six to 13 days but can range from five to 21 days. The period of communicability is one to two days before the rash until all the scabs fall off or get subsided.
Q: Is monkeypox sexually transmitted?
A: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organisation, while declaring monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern, said, "For the moment, this is an outbreak that's concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners. That means, this is an outbreak that can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups."
A research published in the New England Journal of Medicine last Thursday, which looked at 528 confirmed infections, showed 95 per cent cases were transmitted through sexual activity and that 98 per cent of those infected were gay or bisexual men.
Q: Is monkeypox a new disease?
A: No. Human monkeypox was first identified in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, most cases have been reported from rural, rainforest regions of the Congo Basin, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and human cases have increasingly been reported from across central and west Africa.
Since 1970, human cases of monkeypox have been reported in 11 African countries. In 2003, the first monkeypox outbreak outside Africa was in the US. This outbreak led to over 70 cases of monkeypox in America.Monkeypox has also been reported in travelers from Nigeria to Israel and the United Kingdom in September 2018, December 2019, May 2021 and May 2022, to Singapore in May 2019, and to the US in November 2021.
In May this year, multiple cases of monkeypox were identified in several non-endemic countries. Globally, over 16,000 cases of monkeypox have now been reported from 75 countries and there have been five deaths so far due to the outbreak.
International travellers with monkeypox symptoms to be sent to LNJP Hospital from Delhi airport: Sources
New Delhi, Jul 26 (PTI) International travellers arriving in Delhi with monkeypox symptoms such as high fever and back pain will be sent to the LNJP Hospital from the airport, sources said here.
The decision was taken in a review meeting chaired by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Monday, they added.
The Delhi government has asked district authorities and officials concerned to adhere to the Centre's guidelines on management of the infection, which also state that referral arrangements from airport/port to identified link hospital need to be established or strengthened.
The sources said that those travellers having symptoms like high fever, back pain and joint pain at the IGI Airport will be sent to the isolation ward at LNJP Hospital, which has a special 20-member team to deal with such patients.
The samples of suspected patients will be sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, while the district administration will quarantine the family members and carry out contact tracing of such suspected patients, they said.
"Reviewed the monkeypox situation in Delhi along with CS, Secy Health, DGHS & others concerned. Was apprised of preparedness in terms of medical services, hospital infrastructure, tracing, testing, surveillance & clinical management. Advised officials to ensure all preventive measures. I appeal to the people to not panic and follow all prescribed prevention and treatment protocols," Saxena said in a series of tweets.
In the first reported case of monkeypox in Delhi, a 34-year-old person from west Delhi was found infected. He is currently in LNJP Hospital and will take at least a week to fully recover.
The airport health teams currently screen patients with suspected COVID-19 symptoms and some symptoms of the two infections are similar, the sources said, adding that no decision has been taken yet on increasing surveillance at the airport.
Odisha tells districts to keep isolation beds ready to deal with monkeypox cases
Bhubaneswar, Jul 26 (PTI) Despite no monkeypox cases detected in Odisha, the state government has directed all district administrations to keep dedicated beds in every medical college and hospital for management of such infection, a minister said on Tuesday.
India has reported four such cases, including three in Kerala, so far. The viral zoonotic disease has symptoms similar to smallpox, although it has less clinical severity, an expert said, adding that there is no need to panic as it is rarely fatal.
Health Minister Naba Kishore Das said the administration has been keeping a close watch on the situation and directed officials to enhance surveillance.
The authorities have also been asked to monitor those who are coming from outside, especially abroad, he said.
"As per the WHO guidelines, we directed collectors and chief district medical officers to have two isolation beds in each of the medical colleges," Das told reporters here.
"We need to prepare ourselves in advance and keep beds and testing facilities ready," he added.
The health department has taken measures for early detection of such cases, and the district administrations have been asked to closely monitor the situation.
"We will hold a review meeting on Saturday regarding the monkeypox," Das said.
Monkeypox: Bihar govt asks officials to remain on alert, spread awareness
Patna, Jul 26 (PTI) The Bihar government has directed health department officials to remain on alert as four monkeypox cases have been reported in other parts of the country till July 24, an official said on Tuesday.
State Health Minister Mangal Pandey had on Monday held a high-level meeting with senior officials of his department and directed them to make people aware of symptoms of the viral zoonotic disease as per the guidelines of the central government and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The disease has symptoms similar to smallpox, although it has less clinical severity, an expert said.
No monkeypox case has so far been found in Bihar.
"Health officers have been asked to step up surveillance, isolate symptomatic travellers from monkeypox-affected countries and send their samples to the National Institute of Virology, Pune. The minister has also directed them to follow the standard operating procedures while dealing with the infectious diseases," the official said.
With many countries reporting monkeypox cases, the Union Health Ministry advised all states to direct hospitals to watch out for symptomatic patients, who have travelled to the monkeypox-affected countries recently, and isolate them at designated healthcare facilities.
The World Health Organisation had on July 23 declared monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern.
More than 16,000 cases of the disease have been reported from 75 countries till July 24 and there have been five deaths so far as a result of the outbreak.
What are the symptoms and what is the recovery period?
Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting two to four weeks. The case fatality ratio has historically ranged from zero to 11 per cent in the general population and has been higher among young children. In recent times, the case fatality ratio has been around three to six per cent.
Monkeypox typically presents itself with fever, headache, rashes for up to three weeks, sore throat, cough and swollen lymph nodes.
The symptoms include lesions, which usually begin within one to three days of the onset of fever, last for around two to four weeks, and are often described as painful until the healing phase when they turn itchy (in the crust stage).
A notable predilection for palm and soles is a characteristic of monkeypox.
How does Monkeypox spread?
Human-to-human transmission is known to occur primarily through large respiratory droplets generally requiring a 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.
Animal-to-human transmission may occur by bite or scratch of infected animals like small mammals, including rodents (rats, squirrels) and non-human primates (monkeys, apes) or through bush meat preparation.
What is the incubation period and the period of communicability?
The incubation period (interval from infection to onset of symptoms) is usually six to 13 days but can range from five to 21 days. The period of communicability is one to two days before the rash until all the scabs fall off or get subsided.
Is monkeypox sexually transmitted?
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organisation, while declaring monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern, said, "For the moment, this is an outbreak that's concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners. That means, this is an outbreak that can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups."
A research published in the New England Journal of Medicine last Thursday, which looked at 528 confirmed infections, showed 95 per cent cases were transmitted through sexual activity and that 98 per cent of those infected were gay or bisexual men.
Is monkeypox a new disease?
No. Human monkeypox was first identified in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, most cases have been reported from rural, rainforest regions of the Congo Basin, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and human cases have increasingly been reported from across central and west Africa.
Since 1970, human cases of monkeypox have been reported in 11 African countries. In 2003, the first monkeypox outbreak outside Africa was in the US. This outbreak led to over 70 cases of monkeypox in America.
Monkeypox has also been reported in travelers from Nigeria to Israel and the United Kingdom in September 2018, December 2019, May 2021 and May 2022, to Singapore in May 2019, and to the US in November 2021.
In May this year, multiple cases of monkeypox were identified in several non-endemic countries. Globally, over 16,000 cases of monkeypox have now been reported from 75 countries and there have been five deaths so far due to the outbreak.
What is monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.
There are two distinct genetic clades of the monkeypox virus - the Central African (Congo Basin) clade and West African.
The Congo Basin clade has historically caused more severe disease and is thought to be more transmissible.
Sample of Telangana man turns out to be negative for monkeypox
(PTI) The samples of a 35-year-old man, who came to Telangana from abroad, tested negative for monkeypox, a senior doctor at a government-run hospital here said on Tuesday.
Dr K Shankar, superintendent of Government Fever Hospital which is the nodal hospital to treat patients of the emerging virus, told PTI that the samples sent to National Institute of Virology in Pune have come out negative.
"There is nothing to panic about. The samples turned out to be negative for monkeypox," Dr Shankar said.
The man, who returned from abroad to Kamareddy district in Telangana, had shown symptoms of monkeypox.
He came from Kuwait on July 6 and developed fever on July 20.
One of his friends, who came in contact with him, has said he was experiencing body ache and is self-monitoring himself. He has not shown any other symptoms till now, they said. "He has complained of body ache but it is not the only symptom of the infection. He has not displayed the major symptoms of the infection like fever, skin rashes, swollen lymph nodes till now. He is in home isolation and our team is keeping a close watch on him," sources said.
Sources said there are 14 primary contacts of the patient. Four of his family members are in isolation at their west Delhi residence and have not shown any symptoms till now.
The west Delhi man, who was the first reported monkeypox case in the capital, is currently recovering in the isolation ward of the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital here. His vitals are stable but his lesions will take at least a week to recover.
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, sources said on Tuesday.
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