Nagpur: Following detection of two cases of monkeypox in Kerala, guidelines were issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs recently. While no specific directives have been issued in Maharashtra, the government hospitals are still prepared to deal with the virus.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Nagpur has already procured monkeypox testing kit. According to AIIMS Director Maj Gen Vibha Dutta, the premier hospital has made diagnostic arrangements. Once tested positive, one has to isolate himself and take treatment. The Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and Mayo Hospital have been advised to send suspected samples to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for testing.
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Friday 07March 2025
The Dean of Mayo Hospital Dr Leela Abhichandani said, “We don’t have kits but in case of suspected cases, we have been asked to send samples to NIV, Pune.
Monkeypox spreads through close contacts and is not airborne, so the spread can be contained. The incubation period is 3-14 days. Covid precaution will help contain the spread but maintaining hand hygiene is important, said an expert.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe. With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health. Monkeypox primarily occurs in central and west Africa, often in proximity to tropical rainforests, and has been increasingly appearing in urban areas. Animal hosts include a range of rodents and non-human primates.
