New Delhi: After Corona, now monkeypox has rung the alarm bells. There has been a stir due to the discovery of a case of monkeypox i.e. Mpox in India. Health experts are also in alert mode after a suspected case of Mpox came to light in the country. Now the question is how big a threat is this monkeypox, is there a need to be afraid of it, will it take the form of an epidemic like Corona? If health experts are to be believed, there is no need to panic, because the chances of monkeypox virus (MPXV) taking the form of an epidemic are very low. So let’s know what the experts said?
According to Dr. Harshal R. Salve, Additional Professor, Community Medicine Centre, AIIMS, New Delhi, there is no need to panic. I agree that the mortality rate is still high, but infection is possible only in cases of close contacts. He said, ‘The possibility of infection without direct contact is very low, so the chances of monkeypox becoming a widespread epidemic are minimal.’
what is monkeypox
Ampox is a viral disease. In this, rashes start appearing on the body along with fever. After infection, lymph nodes become swollen or their size increases. Lymph nodes are a part of the body’s immune system. Dr. Salve said that this is a self-healing disease and patients recover within four weeks.
monkeypox case in india
A suspected case of ampox has been reported in India, but it is yet to be confirmed. It has spread to about 13 countries in Africa, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it a global health emergency. The outbreak is primarily caused by a more lethal strain, clade 1B. It is not yet clear whether the suspected patient in India is linked to the more lethal strain of ampox.
What did the experts say?
Dr Ishwar Gilada, a well-known HIV expert, said, “With the announcement of the first suspected case of ampox by the government, everyone is worried, but there is no need to panic. Since the infection is spreading only through sex or any internal physical contact, it will not become a big problem like Covid-19.” However, he stressed the need to educate and train the medical community to manage, diagnose and detect ampox. Also, there was an emphasis on increasing the number of laboratories and the effectiveness of their workload. Dr Gilada, HIV/STD consultant at Unison Medicare and Research Center, Mumbai, urged to start manufacturing the ampox vaccine, which can help not only India but also low and middle income countries. He also called for “smallpox vaccine to be given to such people on priority basis as this can see some improvement in the case of ampox.”
Where is the Mpox suspect now?
The central government had said on Sunday that symptoms of monkeypox (ampox) have been found in a young man. The patient has been kept in isolation in a hospital. This is the first suspected case of ampox in the country. The statement of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that the young man who has symptoms of ampox had recently returned from a travel to an infection-affected country. The ministry said, “The patient has been isolated in a designated hospital and his condition is currently stable.” However, the ministry has not told which country the young man had traveled to. Also, which state he is from has also not been disclosed.
Tags: global disease, Health News, india news
FIRST PUBLISHED : September 10, 2024, 07:47 IST
