A few days ago, NCR had reported a suspected case of monkeypox in Ghaziabad. A 5-year-old girl’s samples were sent for testing to ICMR NIV Pune to detect if she was infected by monkeypox after she complained of itching and rashes. The girl has tested negative for monkeypox according to National Institute of Virology in Pune.
However, Union Health Ministry had issued Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease to ensure advance preparedness across the country, in view of the rising reports of monkeypox cases in non-endemic countries. The guidelines recommend that contacts be monitored every day for the onset of signs/symptoms for a period of 21 days (as per case definition) from the last contact with a patient or their contaminated materials during the infectious period. Suspected cases of monkeypox include a person of any age with a history of travel to affected countries within the last 21 days and presenting an unexplained acute rash and one or more of symptoms, including swollen lymph nodes, fever, head/body ache and profound weakness.
The guidelines explained in detail about raising awareness and educating people about the measures for monkeypox virus-like avoiding contact with any material of the sick person, isolation of the infected patient from others, practising good hand hygiene and using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when caring for patients.