By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, May 24:
Although not a single case of monkey virus has been detected in India, based on the direction of the Union Health Ministry, the surveillance has been stepped up across the country including Maharashtra.
The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has issued instructions to states and Union territories to keep an eye on people who show symptoms associated with monkeypox and have a history of travelling in the last 21 days, to a country that has recently reported confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox.
The suspected cases will have to be isolated at designated healthcare facilities until all lesions have resolved and a fresh layer of skin has formed or until the treating physician decides to end isolation.
According to the advisory, the patients have to be reported to the district surveillance officer of an integrated disease surveillance program. Additionally, laboratory samples of suspected cases consisting of fluid from vesicles, blood, sputum, etc have to be sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) located in Pune in Maharashtra for diagnosis.
Given the Health Ministry’s advice, the thermal screening of international passengers with any history of travel to monkeypox affected countries in the last 21 days has been made compulsory.
In Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has issued an advisory to the Mumbai International Airport Limited managing the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, to check all patients arriving from the countries where Monkeypox has been detected. The Maharashtra Government has also issued an advisory about the steps to be taken.
The BMC has also advised the staff at the airport to refer the suspected case to Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Diseases located at Chinchpokli in South Mumbai. The Kasturba Hospital was the main centre for detecting Covid-19 cases.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has directed the Dr. Naidu Hospital, a Multi Speciality Hospital located in Sangamvadi, Pune to remain on standby. Dr. Sanjeev Vavre, Assistant Health officer of the PMC said that other hospitals have also been asked to remain on standby and they are equipped with all facilities.
Monkeypox is a viral infection that is more common in West and Central Africa. As of now 92 patients, have been detected in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Israel, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. Besides 28 patients are under observation.
Dr. Ishwar Gilada, a Mumbai-based Infectious disease expert, and consultant said that “Monkeypox is Zoonotic. Such viruses spread in animals, but take a jump to humans. For example, HIV is Zoonotic. Initially, it came as a monkey virus called simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), and then it became HIV. Fortunately, India hasn’t reported a single case of the non-human virus so far. Initially, a Smallpox vaccine can be used for the treatment of infected patients, although nothing much can be said at this stage. But the Monkey virus is not contagious, he added.
Some scientists think that the monkeypox outbreak will not evolve into a pandemic like Covid-19 as this virus does not spread as easily as SARS-COV-2.
Monkeypox Symptoms and Signs
The first symptoms that occur are nonspecific — fever, sweating, malaise, and some patients may develop a cough, nausea, and shortness of breath. About two to four days after fever develops, a rash with papules and pustules develop most often on the face and chest. The other body areas may eventually be affected, including mucus membranes inside the nose and mouth. These skin and mucus membrane pox lesions can ulcerate, crust over, and then begin to heal in about 14-21 days.
