The government has taken precautionary measures after Monkeypox was declared a Global Public Health Emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO). Sources in the Health Ministry told ‘Aaj Tak’ that in view of this situation, emergency wards are being prepared and an alert has been issued at the airports.
These instructions were given to hospitals
According to sources, the government has instructed hospitals to identify such patients whose rashes are emerging on their bodies and prepare isolation wards. Three major hospitals of Delhi – Safdarjung, Lady Hardinge Medical College, and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital – have been identified for this work.
Alert at airports also
RT-PCR and nasal swab tests will be conducted on suspected patients. Airports have also been instructed to take necessary precautions. Recently the World Health Organization has declared MPOX a global public health emergency for the second time. A new strain of the virus has emerged that is more effective than the previous one and appears to spread easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact.
No cases of new strain in India
However, no case of new strain of MPox has been reported in India so far. But on August 16, three MPox cases were reported in Pakistan, which had come from the United Arab Emirates. Earlier, Sweden had recorded the first case of mpox outside Africa.
If you have been vaccinated against smallpox then there is no need to be afraid
Health Ministry sources said that between June 2022 and May 2023, 30 cases of MPOX were reported in India, most of which were foreigners. He also said that the possibility of death from this new strain is higher than the previous strain. An official said, “Those who have taken the smallpox vaccine will not get infected. There is no need for a new vaccine as of now.”
The Mpox virus started in 2022 and its outbreak has continued since then. This virus has entered about 116 countries. In such a situation, it is natural for common people to feel nervous. Meanwhile, good news has come regarding prevention from MPOX. According to media reports, people who have had small pox or chicken pox or have received the vaccine related to it, have little to no risk of getting this disease.
The virus also reached Pakistan
Let us tell you that after some African countries and Sweden, this virus has now reached Pakistan. A case of this virus has come to light in Pakistan. Till now this virus has affected about 116 countries. This year, about 14 thousand cases of this virus have been registered in Africa and about 524 deaths have occurred due to it.
What is Mpox virus?
Monkeypox is a viral disease caused by monkeypox virus, a species of the Orthopoxvirus genus. MPox was earlier known as monkeypox. This virus was first identified in 1958. At that time the outbreak of this disease had increased significantly in monkeys.
Mpox virus is related to diseases like smallpox, cowpox, vaccinia. This virus belongs to the same Orthopox virus family as all other pox viruses. Monkeypox virus is an infection spread in monkeys, that is why it is being called monkeypox virus. This virus also spreads to humans by coming in contact with infected animals.