The first patient of monkeypox has been confirmed in India. The patient was isolated in the hospital as a suspect. He was being closely monitored and samples were sent for testing. Now the Health Ministry has said that the same suspected patient has been found positive for Mpox.
The Health Ministry said that a separate case of Mpox has been reported in India, which is not a part of the health emergency declared by the World Health Organization. The patient was admitted to the designated hospital yesterday as a suspect. His sample was sent for testing, where it has now been confirmed that he has been found positive for Mpox.
The Health Ministry had said on September 8 that a suspected case of monkeypox has been found in a young man. This young man had recently returned from a country where Mpox (monkeypox) is spreading rapidly. The ministry had said that the patient’s condition is stable and for this, the patient was told to be isolated in the designated hospital.
No need to panic, Health Ministry
The matter is being handled as per the existing protocol and based on the report of India’s National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), the ministry said that there is nothing to panic. The ministry had said that contact tracing of the patient is being done to prevent any possible spread of infection.
What are the symptoms of monkeypox?
Some common symptoms of monkeypox include fever, chills, swollen glands, fatigue, muscle and back pain, headache and respiratory symptoms (such as sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough). The Health Ministry has advised people not to ignore these symptoms and visit a doctor if suspected.
WHO declared health emergency
Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a “public health emergency of international concern”. In India, experts have assessed the risk of monkeypox infection. They believe there may be a few imported cases of the virus in the country, but the risk of a large-scale spread of the disease is low.