Centre Issues Directive Over Mpox Outbreak

The government has directed measures for the Mpox outbreak, stressing the importance of screening, testing, and contact tracing for all suspected patients. States must identify hospitals and set up isolation facilities for both suspected and confirmed cases. The Centre has also instructed senior officials to review public health preparedness to ensure a swift and effective response.

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Symptoms

The most common symptom is rash (including symmetrical or genital rash), followed by fever, the government directive said citing the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO has declared the Mpox outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), but assessed the risk of the spread of the disease to be moderate beyond Africa.

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Mpox Cases Predominantly Affect Young Men

The Mpox virus was first discovered in monkeys in Denmark in 1958, and the first human case occurred in a nine-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970.

India has not reported any confirmed cases yet. However, authorities have isolated a man who recently returned from a country with confirmed cases. His samples are being tested, and his condition is stable.

Over 120 countries have reported Mpox cases between January 2022 and August 2024, according to the WHO. There have been over 100,000 lab-confirmed cases and around 220 deaths. This includes five Mpox cases in Pakistan, reports Geo News.

According to the WHO, a vaccine can help prevent the infection. It can also be administered after a person has been in contact with someone found infected with Mpox.

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