The Union Health Ministry has said that there are no reported cases of monkeypox in the country to date. In view of the World Health Organisation declaring monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda reviewed the monkeypox situation and preparedness at a meeting in New Delhi today.
During the review meeting, it was decided that precautionary measures be put in place to prevent and control the spread of the disease. The measures include sensitising health units at all airports, seaports, and ground crossings, readying the testing laboratories, and gearing up health facilities for detecting, isolating, and managing any cases.
The Ministry added that a Joint Monitoring Group Meeting, under the chairmanship of the Director General of Health Services and consisting of experts from relevant fields, was held yesterday to review the situation. The Health Ministry said that the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is presently low for the country. The Health Ministry is closely monitoring the situation.
During the meeting, it was noted that monkeypox infections are usually self-limiting, lasting between 2 and 4 weeks, and patients generally recover with supportive management. The Ministry added that transmission requires prolonged close contact with an infected case and is generally through sexual contact, direct contact with body fluids, or contaminated clothing of an infected person.
