In the backdrop of one more Monkeypox case reported from Delhi on Tuesday, taking the total infections to eight in the country and three in the national Capital, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya assured Parliament the Government was constantly monitoring the rising cases of monkeypox and there was no cause for panic.
He said the disease is not serious and the centre has issued guidelines to all states to prevent its spread. He also said disease is not serious and centre has issued guidelines to all states to prevent its spread.
In a bid to allay the apprehensions of the Elders, he also informed the Rajya Sabha, the Indian scientists had isolated monkeypox virus and an expression of interest was floated by Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR)for producing the vaccine.
The minister informed House that 15 laboratories were activated all over country for testing monkeypox and more such facilities may be opened if need be.
Elaborating upon action plan to deal with the latest disease, he said eight cases have been reported so far in country and a national task force has been set up to monitor development of diagnostics and vaccines.
He also said five of the eight cases had foreign travel history. His statement came amidst a report that a 35-year-old man of African origin with no recent history of foreign travel testing positive for infection in Delhi. The man was admitted to the Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital on Monday, doctors said, adding that he is in stable condition.
The first monkeypox patient in Delhi was discharged on Monday night. One patient has died in Kerala due to disease. In Parliament, Mandaviy said ICMR has successfully isolated the monkeypox virus and an expression of interest has been floated for research institutions, vaccine and diagnostic kits manufacturers in India to take virus strain for further research to develop a vaccine in country, he added.
He said central teams have been deployed, on the detection of confirmed cases, to the affected districts to assist in control and containment efforts by state authorities. In response to a supplementary question, Mandaviya said government has relied on the experience of tackling COVID-19, to be alert and prepared in advance to prevent the spread of any disease.
He said when disease was first reported globally in May, India had already started preparing to tackle it. While the first case in India was reported from Kerala on July 14, the minister said much before that on May 1, 2022 the Centre had given guidelines to all states, and not just for international airports, on surveillance mechanism and contact tracing, how to collect samples from suspected cases and sending it to recognised laboratories for testing.
With the disease spreading only through close and deep contacts, he said no specific community is at risk and the government has taken steps to create awareness about common symptoms, reporting of suspected cases and prevention from the disease.
Mandaviya said the World Health Organisation(WHO)has reported 18,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox globally from 78 countries and five deaths till July 27, 2022.
India has already issued 'Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease' saying that human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through large respiratory droplets generally requiring prolonged close contact.