WHO has declared a global health emergency regarding Mpox Clade 1, following which the Indian government is on alert. In such a situation, notifications are issued continuously by the Health Ministry. In this context, a letter was written by Health Secretary Apoorva Chandra to all states on Thursday (September 26). In this letter, guidelines related to MPOX have been communicated to all states.
These instructions were given to all States
The Ministry of Health has asked all states and constitutional territories to create awareness among the population about the disease, its mode of spread, the need and importance of timely reporting and preventive measures. Special attention should be paid to ensure that there is no panic among the public regarding this issue.
Also read: New Strain of Mpox Discovered in India, Know How Dangerous It Is and Why It’s Deadly
The first case was discovered in Kerala
The first case of Mpox clade 1b has been reported from Kerala, which was recently confirmed by health ministry sources. The person is 38 years old and has recently returned from Dubai. Currently, the person is kept in isolation and undergoing treatment.
Also read: After Delhi, monkey pox case also found in Kerala, person had returned from Dubai
These instructions were given to the officers
The Health Ministry’s letter states that only senior officials should review public health preparedness in state and district health facilities.
These are the guidelines for states
- Identify isolation facilities in hospitals to handle suspected and confirmed cases. Availability and promotion of trained human resources in the necessary logistics and such facilities.
- All suspected cases of Mpox should be isolated and strict infection prevention and control measures should be implemented. Treatment is symptomatic and available treatment guidelines should be followed.
- Skin lesion samples from any patient with possible mumps symptoms should be immediately sent to a designated laboratory. At the same time, samples from patients with positive results should be sent to ICMR-NIV for clade determination.
- Robust diagnostic testing capacity already available. There are 36 ICMR-supported labs across the country and three commercial PCR kits recognised by ICMR. These have also been approved by CDSCO.
- By implementing the above preventive measures and following recommended management guidelines, we can protect the health and well-being of individuals and reduce the impact of Mpox outbreaks.
The ministry’s letter says that the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will continue to monitor the situation closely. Will provide all necessary support to the states and union territories in this regard.
Also read: Does monkeypox virus also spread through the air? Know how different this disease is from Corona
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