The national capital on Monday reported a second case of monkeypox after a 35-year-old Nigerian man tested positive for the disease. With this recent increase, the total number of monkeypox cases in the country reached six.
A 35-year-old man suffering from blisters and fever was admitted to LNJP Hospital two days back. His samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. An official source said that the report on Monday evening showed that he was positive. Also two Nigerian nationals have been admitted to LNJP Hospital on suspicion of monkeypox disease.
Meanwhile, the Kerala government confirmed that the sample of a 22-year-old man, who died on July 30, tested positive, making him the first person from India. monkeypox-related mortality.
Rajasthan also reported its first suspected case of the disease on Monday, with a 20-year-old man admitted to a government hospital with fever and body rashes for the past four days.
According to the World Health Organization, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis – a virus transmitted from animals to humans – that has symptoms similar to smallpox, although less severe clinically.
Monkeypox usually presents with fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes and can lead to a variety of medical complications. It is usually a self-limiting disease with symptoms lasting two to four weeks.
With new confirmed and suspected cases being reported, the Center on Monday constituted a task force to monitor the situation and decide on response initiatives.
Official sources said the task force in Delhi will also provide guidance to the government to expand diagnostic facilities and explore emerging vaccination trends.
The decision to set up the task force was taken at a high level meeting held at the level of Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister on 26 July to review the ongoing public health preparedness in the country.
The task force will be headed by Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog.
The National AIDS Control Organization and the Directorate General of Health Services in the Ministry of Health have been asked to work on a targeted communication strategy to promote timely reporting, case detection and case management, an official source said.
Instructions were given to make the network of laboratories of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) operational and make necessary arrangements for the diagnosis of monkeypox disease.
*With inputs from agencies
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