Health authorities asked to remain vigilant on suspected monkeypox cases

The National Institute of Health (NIH) on Monday said that all the national and provincial health authorities have been advised to remain on high alert for any suspected case of monkeypox. According to NIH’s alert issued on multi-country monkeypox outbreak in non-endemic countries to concerned health authorities and professionals at all levels, stakeholders especially central health establishment including monitoring points of entry have also been asked to remain vigilant. It added that timely detection and notification are important for prompt implementation of preventive measures and all public and private hospitals have been directed to ensure readiness for isolation and treatment. "The situation has urged all countries to enhance surveillance and vigilance. The Centre for Disease Control, the NIH is monitoring the situation and will keep the stakeholders updated," it added. Read more: WHO calls emergency meeting as monkeypox cases top 100 in Europe As per the alert, a recent surge of monkeypox disease cases has been reported by the non-endemic countries including the UK, Spain and Canada and a total of 92 confirmed and 28 suspected cases have been reported to date. It added that monkeypox is a rare viral zoonotic disease that is caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Although the natural reservoir of monkeypox remains unknown, however, African rodents and non-human primates like monkeys may harbour the virus and infect people. The patient develops a rash within one to three days after the appearance of fever, often beginning on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body. Other symptoms include headache, muscle aches, exhaustion and lymphadenopathy. The incubation period is usually seven to 14 days but can range from five to 21 days. The illness typically lasts for two to four weeks. The alert said that the transmission occurs via contact with an infected animal, human, or materials contaminated with the virus. The virus enters the body through broken skin, respiratory tract, or mucous membranes like eyes, nose or mouth. Other human-to-human methods of transmission include direct or indirect contact with body fluids, lesion materials or contaminated clothing or linens. Punjab CM directs health dept to remain vigilant Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz has directed the health department to remain vigilant in the wake of the possible spread of the disease and added that necessary precautions should be adopted. In a statement, he emphasised that the health department should ensure the implementation of WHO precautions. Similarly, Hamza said, advance measures should be timely adopted to stop the spread of this disease including devising an effective mechanism for the screening of passengers at airports. A campaign should also be run in addition to setting up a monitoring cell, he concluded.

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