Health Ministry Issues Advisory On Mpox — Recommends Contact Tracing, Enhanced Screening

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued an advisory on Mpox for all states and union territories on Monday, after the country reported its first suspect case of Mpox on Sunday. However, no suspects have tested positive for the virus so far, according to the Ministry.

All states and union territories have been advised to spread community awareness about Mpox, its mode of spread, timely reporting, and preventive measures. The ministry has issued guidelines on management of monkeypox disease.

This should be followed by strengthening testing and screening of all suspect cases in communities at healthcare centers, it said. It has asked the states to communicate all disease surveillance units at district and sub-district levels on clear case definitions for suspect/probable and confirm cases of Mpox, and prepare them for contact tracing and other surveillance activities.

Healthcare workers working in Sexually Transmitted Diseases clinics or National Aids Control Organisation clinics should be educated about common signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and action to be undertaken after a case has been detected. All such healthcare workers are advised to be trained on isolation procedure, clinical management and treatment of Mpox cases, the ministry said in a press release.

The disease surveillance network under Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme will continue to monitor for any suspect of cases, and health units at entry points of airports will strengthen screening of incoming travellers to detect any suspect cases.

Further, the ministry has instructed the States AIDS Control societies to stay alert and promote community awareness about Mpox. Laboratory network of Indian Council of Medical Research has also been instructed to check samples from any suspect cases. Intensive and clear risk communication has to be directed at healthcare workers, immunisation clinics, intervention sites identified by NACO for MSM (men who have sex with men) and FSW (female sex workers) population.

The advisory has been issued in view of the World Health Organisation's declaration of Mpox as a public health emergency of international concern. According to WHO, over 120 countries have reported cases of Mpox from January 2022 to August 2024, with over 1 lakh lab-confirmed cases and around 220 deaths.

Most cases were found in younger males with median age of 34 years (range 18-44 years), the WHO said. The virus is transmitted through person-to-person contact, of both sexual and non-sexual nature. Initial symptoms of Mpox are rashes (systemic or genital), followed by fever.

In India, a man was suspected of having Mpox on Sunday. He had recently returned from a country where Mpox cases have seen a surge. The patient has been isolated with his samples being tested.