On Monday, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra issued an advisory to states and union territories regarding Mpox, a disease declared as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO recently. The advisory covered the precautionary actions, symptoms, and causes related to Mpox.
While the concern has been raised globally, no such cases have been reported from India. The advisory involves the fundamental public health actions necessary for the prevention or minimization of risk. It mentions that the states have to undertake the necessary preventive measures to avoid any case or death due to Mpox.
Union Health Secretary Chandra instructed the States to ensure that the “Guidelines for Management of Monkeypox Disease” by the Ministry get wide dissemination. The States also have to take necessary action on the latest CD-Alert-on Mpox issued by the NCDC. The advisory also calls for reviewing public health preparedness at health facilities, including at the State and District levels. This will encompass the identification of isolation facilities at hospitals in case of treating suspected and confirmed cases of Mpox.
The advisory stated that the age range is between 0 and 103 years, with a median age of 34 years, and Mpox primarily affects young males. Globally, the most common modes of transmission are sexual contact, followed by person-to-person non-sexual contact. Of those reported cases, a little over half had their HIV status available. And among these, were people living with HIV. The typical presentations for Mpox include rashes, which may be systemic and genital, associated with fever.
Recently, Delhi reported a suspected case of Mpox. A man who returned from abroad is isolated in a designated hospital and is currently stable. Health authorities are testing the patient’s sample to confirm Mpox. The management of the case follows established protocols. And officials are tracing contacts to identify potential sources and assess their impact.
The Health Ministry stated that this development aligns with previous risk assessments by the NCDC. India is prepared to handle isolated travel-related cases, so there is no need for panic. It said the country has a strong system that is always ready to manage and mitigate any risk.
For many years, pox has been an issue of public health concern in parts of Africa. But it gained the attention of the entire world in 2022. The WHO recorded Mpox cases in 121 of its member states from all six regions since January 1, 2022. The WHO Mpox report dated September 3, 2024, which covers data up to July 31, 2024, reports 102,997 laboratory-confirmed cases and 186 probable cases, along with 223 recorded deaths.
In July 2024 alone, the world reported 1,425 cases and six deaths. More than half of these cases came from the African Region (55%), followed by the American Region (24%) and the European Region (11%). The Southeast Asia Region reported only 1% of the total cases.
The Health Ministry remains on high alert and monitors the situation closely. The measures in place aim to strengthen India’s management and response to any potential Mpox cases.
ANI
