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The Union Health Ministry has issued guidelines to deal with Monkey Pox or MPox. States have been asked to implement strict measures for prevention and control of MPOX. The central government’s guidelines have come after the confirmation of the second case of MPox in Kerala. The health of a 26-year-old man who recently returned from UAE deteriorated and was found to be Mpox positive. Earlier last week, the first case of MPox was reported in Kerala. Even then, Clade 1B strain of Mpox was found in a 38-year-old man who had returned from UAE, which is considered quite deadly.
What is the new strain of Mpox?
According to the Health Ministry, India is the third non-African country where the Clade 1B strain of Mpox has been found. Earlier, apart from the African country Congo, Clade 1B strain was found only in Sweden and Thailand. There are mainly two strains of monkey pox. The first strain is ‘Clade-1’, which till now was found in African countries. This is the most deadly strain and about 10 percent of the people infected with it died. The second one is ‘Clade-2’. This is a less harmful strain and this strain is spread in most of the countries. 99.% of people infected with this strain recover.
How does mpox spread?
Mpox is a zoonotic disease. It can spread from animals to humans and from humans to animals. Similarly, it can spread from humans to humans. According to WHO, Mpox is caused by monkeypox virus, which is a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus. It can spread through close contact with an infected person, contaminated materials or infected animals.
Symptoms of Monkey Pox
– headache-fever
– muscle pain
– includes chills and tiredness
– Stomach pain-swelling in throat
Rashes or blisters on the body
– Watery rashes or blisters on the genitals
Now let’s talk about the guidelines of the central government
What to do
1. Get suspected patients examined immediately: The central government has asked states to ensure that samples of suspected MPOX cases are immediately sent to labs for testing. If the report comes positive then send the sample to ICMR-NIV to identify the strain of the virus.
2. Use of PCR kit: The central government has directed the states to conduct tests in ICMR approved labs for immediate detection and prevention of the virus. It has also been said that as many PCR kits as possible should be used for testing. There are 36 ICMR-approved labs across the country. Besides, three Mpox PCR kits validated by ICMR and approved by CDSCO are also in the market, through which testing can be done.
3. Symptomatic treatment: The Health Ministry has instructed the states to strictly follow the treatment guidelines. At present there is symptomatic treatment of MPOX. There is no specific medicine or treatment for MPOX. WHO also emphasizes on symptomatic treatment. Like its medicine to remove rashes or painkiller for pain etc.
4. Develop Isolation Facility: The Health Ministry has asked hospitals to set up adequate isolation facilities for suspected and positive MPox cases. Besides, he has also been asked to provide training to health workers.
5. Isolate suspected patients: Isolate any suspected Mpox patient immediately. After this, all measures should be implemented immediately to ensure that the disease does not spread further.
6. Raise Awareness: The Health Ministry has asked the states to increase awareness about Mpox. Alert people about the cause, symptoms, prevention and timely reporting of the disease.
Tag: health news, special project, viral fever
first published : September 28, 2024, 11:44 IST
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