India has so far reported 9 Monkeypox cases, of which 5 are from Kerala with a history of international travel and four from Delhi with no recent travel history. Cases of monkeypox have been reported in other parts of the world too, sparking concerns at a time when the world is still fighting the Covid-19 menace.
Here’s what we know about monkeypox in India so far:
1) A 31-year-old woman tested positive for Monkeypox in the national capital on Wednesday, taking India’s tally to nine.
2) Earlier on Tuesday, another 35-year-old Nigerian man living in Delhi, with no recent travel history, tested positive for monkeypox.
3) Amid the rise in Monkeypox cases, isolation rooms have been made operational for the treatment of such infections in three central government hospitals. “The isolation rooms for the treatment of Monkeypox patients are operational in three major central government hospitals i.e Safdarjang hospital, RML hospital and Lady Hardinge hospital,” official sources told ANI.
4) Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has assured citizens not to panic and said that an awareness campaign is being run in collaboration with the state governments to prevent the spread of the infection.
5)100 samples have been tested till August 2, said Dr Pragya Yadav Senior Scientist ICMR-NIV, Pune.
6) NCDC, Delhi and AIIMS lab has also started testing for Monkeypox as ICMR-NIV is sharing reagents with National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and all over the country network of 15 laboratories has started testing.
7) India has started discussions with vaccine makers for developing a monkeypox vaccine and diagnostic kits.
8) “We are already engaging with the potential players,” said Vinod Kumar Paul, member of government think tank NITI Aayog and head of the national task force on Covid-19. “As you know, we have a strong presence of our vaccine capacity, so that’s also under the government’s active consideration.”
9) Monkeypox jab may be only for medics, high-risk population groups, said Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, National co-chair, ICMR in an interview with Mint.
10) “All preparations for the vaccine are being done; I briefed the minister on this. We are researching on the vaccine for Monkeypox and if there’s a need for it,” Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla on Tuesday said after a meeting with union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
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