Alert in Kerala, preparation for vaccine also started; How prepared is India for monkeypox? Understand the whole thing in 10 points

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently issued a warning about the increasing cases of monkeypox. However, there is currently no case of this disease in India. Despite this, preparations have been started in India to deal with this virus. An alert has been issued regarding monkeypox in Kerala, while the central government has also issued instructions to be cautious about this virus. Let us understand what is India’s preparation regarding monkeypox.

Alert in Kerala: The Kerala Health Department on Wednesday issued an alert in the state. Surveillance teams have been deployed at all airports to screen passengers arriving from affected countries. If any passenger is found to be symptomatic, they will be isolated and treated as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued in 2022.

Central Government Instructions: The central government has directed airports, ports and border authorities to remain alert in response to the global rise in monkeypox cases. The government has issued an alert on the borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Health Ministry meeting: The Union Health Ministry held a meeting with experts. In this meeting, different strains of the virus were discussed. The department said, “We held a meeting with the states and the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and vigilance has been increased regarding this virus.”

Hospitals declared as nodal centers: The government has declared Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College as nodal centres for isolation and treatment of patients.

Efforts of Serum Institute: The Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, is working on developing a vaccine for monkeypox. “In view of the global health emergency, we are working on developing a vaccine for this disease,” the institute’s CEO Adar Poonawalla said in a statement on Wednesday.

Mortality and Risk: Monkeypox has a high mortality rate but is unlikely to have an impact in India. Reports suggest that the disease is transmitted through contact. As per current assessment, there is no link between monkeypox and COVID-19.

WHO warning: WHO has declared monkeypox a public health emergency. However, no travel advisories have been issued at this time. WHO recently found that clade 1b of monkeypox is more serious than clade 2.

African countries most affected: The number of patients affected by clade 1b of monkeypox is higher in African countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

1,854 cases in six months: According to WHO, 1,854 confirmed cases were reported in the WHO African Region in the first six months of 2024. 95% of these cases were found in countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

What is the situation in India: Around 30 cases of monkeypox have been reported in India since 2022 and the most recent case was reported in March 2024. However, no new cases have been reported in India recently.

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