Monekypox Isn’t A New Disease, Don’t Panic: Union Health Minister
Mumbai: Amid a rise in monkeypox cases, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday advised people to not panic and said that the awareness programmes are being run in collaboration with state governments.
“Monkeypox is not a new disease in India and in the world, since 1970 a lot of cases are being seen from Africa. WHO has paid special attention to this. Monitoring has started in India too,” Mandaviya said in Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Monsoon session of the Parliament. Also Read: Nigerian National In Delhi Tests Positive For Monkeypox, 3rd Case In National Capital
“As on 1st August, seven confirmed cases (including one death) of Monkeypox disease, four from Kerala ((including one death) and three cases from Delhi have been reported so far,” the Union Health Minister added.
He advised the people not to panic and said that to prevent the spread of infection, an awareness campaign is being conducted in collaboration with the state governments.
“There is no need to be afraid of monkeypox. An awareness campaign is being run in collaboration with the state governments: Public awareness is very necessary in the context of monkeypox. We have also formed a task force under the chairmanship of a member of Niti Aayog on behalf of the Government of India,” he added.
Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis – spread from animals to humans – with symptoms similar to those seen in patients with smallpox, although clinically less severe.
Last month, the Center issued guidelines for monkeypox patients and their contacts, making 21-day isolation mandatory. The government also advised monkeypox patients and their contacts to wear masks, follow hand hygiene and cover wounds completely.
According to the WHO, monkeypox is endemic in regions such as West and Central Africa, but recently cases of the viral disease have also been reported in non-endemic countries.
Monkeypox manifests with fever, headache, rash for up to three weeks, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, and cough and can cause a variety of medical complications.
The symptoms include lesions, which usually begin within one to three days of the onset of fever, last for around two to four weeks, and are often described as painful until the healing phase when they turn itchy.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern.
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