Monkeypox Infection Control: Government issues guidelines on management of Monkeypox disease

Monkeypox Virus Infection: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued guidelines on Monkeypox infection control. Even though there are no reported cases of Monkeypox in India, the government is leaving no stone unturned to prepare itself for the infection. The Health Ministry while announcing the guidelines issued on the management of Monkeypox disease said that all the clinical specimens will be transported to the laboratory of ICMR-NIV in Pune routed through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme Network of the respective district and state. Talking about Monkeypox infection in India, the Health Ministry said that India needs to be prepared to tackle cases.

Update on #Monkeypox

▪️@MoHFW_INDIA issues Guidelines to States/UTs on Management of Monkeypox Disease

▪️Clinical Specimens to be sent to NIV Pune Apex Laboratory through Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) network

Read here:https://t.co/X9cENLSV7B

— PIB India (@PIB_India) May 31, 2022

Guidelines for Monkeypox infection in India

1. The guidelines on Monkeypox infection in India stresses on the surveillance and the rapid identification of the new monkeypox cases for reducing the risk of human to human transmission.

2. To monitor Monkeypox situation in India, the contacts must be monitored daily for the onset of signs and the symptoms for the period of 21 days during the infectious period.

3. People must be aware and educated about the measures for the Monkeypox virus.

4. The guidelines on Monkeypox also stress on avoiding any form of contact with any material of the sick person, isolation of the infected patients, practicing good hand hygiene, and using the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) while caring for the patients.

5. The international passengers have been advised by the Health Ministry to refrain from eating or preparing meat from wild game (bushmeat) or using the products such as lotions, creams, and powders derived from wild animals in Africa.

6. The guidelines on Monkeypox infection in India also advise avoiding contact with contaminated materials used by sick people such as bedding, clothing, or materials that are used in the healthcare settings or that came into contact with the infected animals.

7. The international travelers must also contact the nearest health facility if they develop symptoms that are suggestive of monkeypox such as fever with rash or if they were in an area where the disease has been reported or came in contact with the person who might have had the disease.

What is Monkeypox Virus?

The Monkeypox Virus is a slow-mutating DNA virus that spreads through the large respiratory droplets and required prolonged close contact with the patient for the transmission.

How does Monkeypox virus infection spreads?

Monkeypox infection can also spread through bodily fluids, material from within the skin lesions, and the contaminated clothes and the linens of an infected person.

It can take up anywhere between 5 to 21 days after the Monkeypox infection for the symptoms of the disease to show up. The person who are infectious has the ability to spread the virus, one or two days before the skin rashes develop till after they fall off.