According to sources from the Health Ministry, the government has implemented precautionary measures, such as setting up emergency wards and notifying airports, following the declaration of mpox as a global public health emergency, as per media report.
Sources indicate that the government has instructed hospitals to identify patients with rashes and set up isolation wards.
Three nodal hospitals in Delhi—Safdarjung, Lady Hardinge Medical College, and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital—have been designated for this purpose. RT-PCR and nasal swab tests will be conducted on suspected patients.
Sources said that airports have also been notified to implement the necessary precautions.
The World Health Organization recently declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years. A new strain of the virus has emerged, which seems to be more potent and spreads more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact.
India has not reported any cases of the new mpox strain so far. However, on August 16, Pakistan identified three mpox patients who had arrived from the UAE. Additionally, Sweden has confirmed the first case of mpox outside Africa.
Health Ministry sources reported that 30 mpox cases were recorded from June 2022 to May 2023, primarily involving foreigners. They noted that the risk of death is significantly higher with the new strain compared to the previous one. As per the media report, individuals who have received smallpox vaccines are unlikely to contract the virus and that no new vaccine is required at this time.