Monkeypox Outbreak: Health Ministry Issues New Guidelines

The Union Health Ministry of India recently announced that the country should increase surveillance on people amidst the surge in monkeypox cases worldwide.

The Union Health Ministry of India recently announced that the country should increase there surveillance on monkeypox cases. Monkeypox cases are increasing in the world. According to the world health organization, a total of 9200 cases have been reported from 63 countries of the world. Most of the cases have been reported from European countries constituting at least 86 per cent of the cases and at least 11 percent of the cases are from USA. Rajesh Bhushan, the Union Health Secretary reiterated that India should buckle up and increase surveillance and get all the health teams ready and prepared so that they are able to quickly identify and isolate cases in case the disease reaches India.

Monkeypox Advisory Issued By The Health Ministry

Bhushan stated that, "Continued expansion of spread of monkeypox disease globally calls for proactive strengthening and operationalization of requisite public health actions for preparedness and response against the disease in India also."

• Health screening teams at entry points for passengers travelling internationally.
• Teams for disease surveillance.
• Doctors working in hospitals about common signs and symptoms, differential diagnosis, case definitions for suspects, probable or confirmed cases should be carried out.
• states to screen and test all suspect cases either through hospital-based surveillance or targeted surveillance under measles surveillance or intervention sites identified by the National AIDS Control Organization for MSM.
• Patient isolation until all lesions have resolved and scabs have completely fallen off, protection of ulcers, symptomatic and supportive therapies, continued monitoring and timely treatment of complications remain the key measures to prevent mortality.
• Hospitals must be identified and adequate human resource and logistic support should be ensured at identified hospitals equipped to manage suspected cases of monkeypox.