New Delhi: Issuing an alert to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Central government has asked them to keep a close watch on the monkeypox situation, in wake of a rapid spurt of cases abroad, and send samples of symptomatic travellers to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for further investigation.
“Keep a close watch on monkeypox situation abroad. Send samples (to NIV, Pune) only in such cases where people display certain specific symptoms. Not samples of sick passengers,” sources told ANI.
Monkeypox passes from infected animals to humans and cases are rapidly increasing in Europe, North America. It can be caught from a bite by an infected animal, by touching its blood, body fluids, or fur.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has called for an emergency meeting to discuss the recent outbreak of monkeypox. Cases have been confirmed in Europe in the United Kingdom, Spain Portugal, Germany and Italy. United States, Canada and Australia have also reported cases.
Symptoms of monkeypox disease
As per WHO, monkeypox is a sylvatic zoonosis with incidental human infections that usually occur in forested parts of Central and West Africa. It is caused by the monkeypox virus which belongs to the orthopoxvirus family.
There are two main strains of the virus. They are
- Congo strain
- West African strain.
Congo strain is more severe when compared to the other one. It has a mortality rate of 10 percent.
The symptoms of monkeypox disease include
- Fever symptoms
- Distinctive bumpy rash
The virus which was first found in monkey in 1958 can spread between humans through close contact.
With inputs from ANI
