Look At Mpox Cases Around World As First Suspected Infection Surfaces In India

New Delhi: A man who recently travelled from a country experiencing mpox transmission has been identified as a suspected case of the disease, the Union health ministry said on Sunday.

The patient has been isolated at a designated hospital and is currently stable, it said, adding that there is no cause for concern.

Samples have been collected from the man and are being tested to confirm the presence of mpox.

"The case is being managed in line with established protocols, and contact tracing is ongoing to identify potential sources and assess the impact within the country," the ministry said.

The development of this case is consistent with the earlier risk assessment conducted by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and there is no cause of any undue concern, it said.

MPox Around the World

MPox in Africa

The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation launched a continent-wide response plan to the outbreak of mpox, three weeks after WHO declared outbreaks in 12 African countries a global emergency.

The estimated budget for the six-month plan is almost USD 600 million, with 55 per cent allocated to mpox response in 14 affected nations and boosting readiness in 15 others, while 45 per cent is directed towards operational and technical support through partners, Africa CDC director-general Dr. Jean Kaseya told reporters on Friday.

The plan focuses on surveillance, laboratory testing and community engagement, Kaseya said, underscoring the fact that vaccines aren't enough to fight the spreading outbreak.

The organisation said that since the start of 2024, there have been 5,549 confirmed mpox cases across the continent, with 643 associated deaths, representing a sharp escalation in both infections and fatalities compared to previous years. The cases in Congo constituted 91 per cent of the total number. Most mpox infections in Congo and Burundi, the second most affected country, are in children under age 15.

MPox in Pakistan

Authorities in Pakistan reported five case of monkeypox (mpox) virus amid the confusion about the total number of cases confirmed so far in the country.

The fourth case was detected in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province where authorities confirmed three previous infections of the virus.

“The medical team at Peshawar airport transferred the patient (fourth case) to the Police and Services Hospital (PSH) after detecting symptoms of the virus during the screening,” KP Health Director Dr Irshad Ali Roghani said.

Roghani said the rapid response team took samples from the patient’s wound in the hospital and sent it to the laboratory which confirmed mpox in the patient, who was reported in a stable condition.

According to officials, all patients returned from abroad and so far there was no local case reported.

Apart from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, health officials on August 19 reported that a 47-year-old resident of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, who recently returned from Saudi Arabia, was admitted in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) here due to mpox symptoms.

MPox in Singapore

The Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Transport and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said they will enhance Singapore’s surveillance capabilities against the infectious disease at the borders.

Similar screening measures will also be implemented at sea checkpoints for crew and passengers arriving on ships from mpox-affected areas, reported The Straits Times.

The MOH said that while there are no direct flights between Singapore and any country with an mpox outbreak, there will be temperature and visual screening at Changi and Seletar airports for inbound travellers and crew arriving on flights from places that may be exposed to outbreak of the viral disease.

Health advisories have also been put in place at air checkpoints, so that travellers will take the necessary personal precautions to avoid being infected.

Travellers are strongly advised to follow the advisory, especially if they are travelling to and from affected countries. Those found to have fever, rash and/or symptoms compatible with Mpox will be referred for medical assessment.

WHO

The UN health agency  launched a six-month plan to help stanch outbreaks of mpox transmission, including ramping up staffing in affected countries and boosting surveillance, prevention and response strategies.

The World Health Organisation said it expects the plan from September through February next year will require USD 135 million in funding and aims to improve fair access to vaccines, notably in African countries hardest hit by the outbreak.

“The mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries can be controlled, and can be stopped,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement.

The agency is “significantly scaling up staff” in affected countries, it said. In mid-August, WHO classified the current mpox outbreak as a global health emergency.

Also Monday, German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said Germany is donating 100,000 doses of mpox vaccine to affected countries from stocks held by its military, as per the reports.

Africa and WHO Joint Action

The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation launched a continent-wide response plan to the outbreak of mpox, three weeks after WHO declared outbreaks in 12 African countries a global emergency.

The estimated budget for the six-month plan is almost USD 600 million, with 55 per cent allocated to mpox response in 14 affected nations and boosting readiness in 15 others, while 45 per cent is directed towards operational and technical support through partners, Africa CDC director-general Dr. Jean Kaseya told.