Govt on high alert over monkeypox

Quoting the suggestion issued by National Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC), Director of Public Health G Srinivasa Rao has directed the district medical officers to be alert about people with unexplained rash. He instructed them to be ready with required medicines to provide treatment to monkeypox.

He stated that the samples collected from people suspected to have the virus would be sent to National Institute of Virology in Pune for tests.

According to the Director, fever, severe rash, bubbles on the skin are some of the symptoms of monkeypox. People, who came from other countries where there are cases, for the past 21 days and those, who moved closely with them, are the main suspects.

People with these symptoms should be admitted to hospital immediately and kept in isolation. Treatment should be provided till all the bubbles on the skin disappear and new skin comes in the place.

Health and medical staff were asked to collect samples of saliva, blood and other liquids from veins of the suspects and sent to NIV, Pune. The details of the suspects should be submitted to integrated disease surveillance programme officer or district vigilance officer. If a positive case is reported, all the contacts of the patient should be isolated.

The NCDC said that there is no need to get panic about monkeypox. It said that the symptoms will recede within two to four weeks and the death rate could be between 1 to 10 per cent.