Listen to Story The Union government on Monday issued a fresh advisory to states and UTs on the issue of tracking and monitoring cases of mpox, which has been declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In its advisory, the Union Health Ministry noted that India has not seen any cases of mpox in the current outbreak . However, state governments have been advised to stay on alert and follow the ministry’s various guidelines on surveillance strategies and setting up of isolation facilities to track and deal with suspect and confirmed cases of the disease.
The ministry noted that the national Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) is actively monitoring to identify any mpox clusters in the country. Points of entry such as airports have intensified health screening of incoming travellers and the laboratory network under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been strengthened to test samples from suspect cases, the ministry said. In August, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced mpox (previously known as monkeypox) as a public health emergency of international concern.
(Photo: Getty Images) States should pay special attention to healthcare workers, especially those in skin and STD (sexually transmitted diseases) clinics, to know about common signs and symptoms of mpox and actions that need to be taken after diagnosis, the advisory stated. Screening and testing to be done of all the suspe.