Monkeypox in India: Mandatory for all health facilities in Delhi to notify suspect cases

After Delhi reported its first case of monkeypox on Sunday, the Directorate General of Health Services on Monday issued a notification on preparedness against the disease. India has so far reported 4 cases of the disease which was recently declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation.

DGHS reiterated that it is mandatory for all health facilities to notify any suspect case of monkeypox to the concerned District Surveillance Unit. Furthermore, such cases must be referred and isolated at the reserved ward of Lok Nayak Hospital in coordination with District Surveillance Officers.

It is mandatory for all health facilities to notify any suspect case of #monkeypox to the concerned District Surveillance Unit and must be referred and isolated at the reserved ward of Lok Nayak Hospital in coordination with District Surveillance Officers: DGHS, Delhi Government pic.twitter.com/VTrAFhgcT6

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2022

On Sunday, a 31-year-old man with no travel history became Delhi’s first confirmed case of monkeypox. The case is peculiar as the three other cases reported in the country have travel history.  The Delhi patient was hospitalized with fever and skin lesions. A resident of West Delhi, the man had attended a stag party recently in Manali in Himachal Pradesh. 

Earlier, a 35-year-old person who returned from the UAE became India’s first case on July 14. The second case was confirmed in a 31-year-old man on July 18. He had arrived in Kannur from Dubai on July 13. The third case is also from Kerala. 

Over 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported from 75 countries globally. There have been five deaths due to the outbreak.

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(With inputs from ANI)