According to an official statement, no case of Mpox has been detected in India so far and steps have been taken to enhance surveillance and early detection of the virus.
MpoxPrime Minister Narendra Modi is closely monitoring the Mpox situation currently unfolding in various parts of the world even as a high-level meeting, chaired by Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister PK Mishra, was held on Sunday to review Mpox preparedness, in case the deadly virus reaches India.
According to an official statement, no cases of Mpox have been detected in the country so far and measures have been taken to improve surveillance and early detection of the virus.
An outbreak is unlikely
It is noteworthy that the World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in view of its prevalence and spread in many parts of Africa, evoking fears of a global pandemic similar to that of Covid-19.
However, according to the central government’s statement, the risk of a large-scale outbreak with sustained transmission remains low, based on the current assessment.
During Sunday’s meeting, it was reported that Mpox infections are generally self-limiting, lasting between two and four weeks and its patients usually recover with supportive medical care and treatment, according to the statement.
Mpox transmission occurs through close and prolonged contact with an infected patient.
Among the measures taken so far, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has convened an expert meeting on August 12 to assess the risk to India; furthermore, a communicable disease alert on Mpox issued earlier by the NCDC is being updated to capture the newer developments, officials said.
An awareness campaign has been carried out by health teams at international airports (ports of entry), they said.
State health authorities sensitized
According to the statement, the director general of health services convened a video conference with over 200 participants from across the country, while health authorities at the state level, including Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) units in the states and at ports of entry, were sensitized in this regard.
Mishra ordered enhanced surveillance and effective measures for early detection of cases and asked the network of testing laboratories to prepare for early diagnosis, the statement said.
The chief secretary said that prevention and treatment protocols for the disease should be widely disseminated, emphasizing on an awareness campaign among health providers on the signs and symptoms of the disease and the need for timely reporting to the surveillance system.
Currently, 32 laboratories are equipped to perform Mpox testing in the country.
The Mpox scare
In an earlier statement, WHO said 99,176 cases and 208 deaths from Mpox have been reported in 116 countries worldwide since 2022.
Subsequently, Mpox cases have been steadily increasing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Last year, reported cases increased significantly and the number of reported cases so far this year has already surpassed last year’s total, with more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths.
Since the WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern in 2022, 30 cases have been reported in India.
The last case of Mpox was detected in March 2024.
(With PTI inputs)
