Monkeypox: Central team arrives in Kerala | 10 things you need to know
PremiumIndia reported the first case of Monkeypox in Kollam, Kerala
As Kerala Health Department confirmed the first case of Monkeypox in India, the Indian government deployed a multi-disciplinary team to the southern state to tackle the outbreak of this rare disease that now World Health Organisation (WHO) categorises as a pandemic.
The high-level multidisciplinary team has been rushed to the southern state to collaborate with the state health authorities to put in place public health measures.
Here is a list of 10 things you need to know:
1) The team comprises experts drawn from National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi, and senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
2) The team has been constituted and deployed with an aim to assist the State Government of Kerala in investigating the outbreak.
3) The team's deployment shall be coordinated by Sr. Regional Director, RoHFW, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Kerala.
4) The team's deployment came after India's first monkeypox case was confirmed in the state on July 14.
5) India reported the first case of Monkeypox in Kollam, Kerala. The man had reached the southern state on 12 July via Trivandrum airport.
6) Union Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to states and Union territories to increase invigilation, especially at entry points as another pandemic looms over the country.
7) Kerala Health minister Veena George informed that the person who had travelled from UAE and was the first reported case of Monkeypox in India ‘is quite stable, and all the vitals are normal.’
8) The person's primary contacts are identified - his father, mother, taxi driver, auto driver, and 11 passengers of the same flight who were in adjacent seats, said George.
9) The health ministry has also asked states and union territories to identify hospitals and ensure sufficient human resources and logistic support to manage any suspected or confirmed Monkeypox case.
10) According to World Health Organization (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. It is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with material contaminated with the virus. It is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting from two to four weeks.
Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less