NEW DELHI: The Covid-19 is far from over, but now the world faces a new threat an outbreak of monkeypox, which has spread to 17 countries, mainly those in Europe. Though India has not reported any case, authorities have sounded an alert.
The Union Health Ministry has asked the National Institute of Virology (NIV) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to closely watch and test suspected samples of people travelling from affected countries.
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by a virus in the same family as smallpox but is not as severe, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to Dr Pragya Yadav, a noted scientist from the ICMR-NIV, recently awarded for her contribution to developing the Covid-19 vaccine, India has issued an early advisory on Friday. Active surveillance has been mounted at ports and airports.
As the virus has spread to 17 countries on Tuesday, travellers from these affected countries are especially being checked. So far, no samples have been received by NIV, Yadav said. On May 23, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had issued a health advisory and stated that it has kept a separate 28-bed ward ready at the Kasturba Hospital for the isolation of suspected patients. Those arriving from abroad will have to give samples for testing at the National Institute of Virology’s Pune laboratory,” the Maharashtra health department had said in an advisory.