Monkeypox outbreak: Delhi reports India's 4th case, Centre in a huddle

Delhi man has no foreign travel history, attended party in Manali recently

The Union government on Sunday held a high-level review meeting after a 34-year-old man from the national capital with no history of foreign travel tested positive for the monkeypox virus, becoming the fourth case of the disease reported in India.

Sources said the meeting was chaired by the Directorate General of Health Sciences (DGHS) and attended by officials from the Health ministry, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and ICMR. The new patient who is presently recovering at a designated isolation centre at the Lok Nayak hospital had attended a stag party in Manali in Himachal Pradesh recently, official sources told PTI.

A resident of West Delhi, the patient was isolated at the Hospital around three days ago after he showed symptoms of the disease. His samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune on Saturday which came out positive, Union Health Ministry officials said.

The close contacts of the case have been identified and are under quarantine as per the guidelines, the health ministry said in a statement. 

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said a separate isolation ward had been set up at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital (LNJP) here for patients affected by monkeypox.

Asking people not to panic, Kejriwal said the patient is stable and recovering.

Three cases of monkeypox had earlier been reported from Kerala. Airport and Port Health Officers  and regional directors from regional offices of health and family welfare were advised to ensure strict health screening of all arriving international travellers to minimise the risk of importation of monkeypox cases into the country, a ministry statement had said.

They were advised to coordinate with stakeholder agencies at international ports and airports to streamline health screening processes besides ensuring suitable linkages with hospital facilities earmarked to each port of entry for timely referral and isolation.

WHAT IS MONKEYPOX VIRUS

• According to WHO, monkeypox is caused by a virus transmitted to humans from animals and has symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients
• Human-to-human transmission can occur through direct contact with infectious skin or lesions or body fluids, including face-to-face, skin-to-skin, and respiratory droplets
• Can be transmitted through indirect contact with contaminated cloth­ing or linens of an infected person
• Presents with fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes, and may lead to medical complications
• Usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting for 2-4 weeks
• According to Centre’s guidelines, fatality ratio has historically ranged from 0 to 11% in general population and has been higher among young children. In recent times, case fatality ratio has been 3 to 6%
   

A GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY

• WHO has declared monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern 
• A public health emergency of international concern is the rarely used top alert available to WHO to tackle a global disease outbreak

Reported in 75 countries

• Over 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported from 75 countries 
• There have been five deaths so far due to the outbreak
• In India, the Delhi case takes the total number to four, including three from Kerala

EFFORTS TO CURB RISE IN CASES  

The health ministry has advised airport and port health officers and regional directors from regional offices to ensure strict health screening of all arriving international travellers to minimise the risk of importation of monkeypox cases into the country.