Monkeypox in India: Kerala reports 1st case; Centre rushes multi-disciplinary team

Kerala Health Minister Veena George stated that the patient found infected with the Monkeypox virus has been isolated and is being taken care of. The identification of the patient, who landed at the Trivandrum airport from the UAE on July 12, marks the first case of monkeypox in India. Speaking to the media earlier today, George said that the patient's condition is stable and he is being examined as per the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). 

The Minister also said that the primary contacts of the patient, including his family members and the passengers sitting in adjacent seats in his plane, have also been identified. "The primary contacts are identified - his father, mother, taxi driver, auto driver, and 11 passengers of the same flight who were in adjacent seats". She also advised not to worry or get anxious as the patient is stable and all his vitals are normal. 

Earlier today, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan penned a letter to the Health Secretaries of all states and Union Territories (UTs) directing them to implement revised guidelines in line with the 'Guidelines for Management of Monkeypox Disease' issued on May 31. In his letter, Bhushan directed the health officials to ensure the orientation and re-orientation of all 'key stakeholders' including health screening teams, disease surveillance teams and doctors and carry out screening as well as testing of all suspected cases.

He had also assured of all possible help to the states from the Centre, complying with which the Central government has rushed a High-Level multi-disciplinary team to Kerala for supporting the state in public health interventions and investigating for Monkey Pox outbreak.

Monkeypox spreads to over 50 countries

While it is just the first confirmed case in India, the monkeypox disease has breached the borders of 51 countries. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the total number of cases globally stands at 10,000 and the majority of the cases have been reported in Europe. Earlier this month, the WHO called for urgent action over the rapid spread of the disease across the continent. 

Most recently, the WHO representative for Moscow Melita Vujnovic, warned about Monkeypox spreading into Russia owing to the rising cases in Europe. The WHO recommends that all the countries should make every effort to register new cases and trace contacts to control this outbreak and prevent its further spread,” she said in a statement.