During human Monkeypox outbreaks, close contact with infected persons is the most significant risk factor for Monkeypox virus infection, said the Health Ministry, on Wednesday, while releasing a one-page guide on dos and don’t for Monkeypox. It warned that healthcare workers and household members are at a greater risk of infection.
The Ministry has advised against sharing linen, bedding or towels with people who have contracted Monkeypox and not washing soiled linen or laundry of infected persons with those of non-infected individuals. It added that people should not attend public events if they exhibit symptoms of Monkeypox and refrain from stigmatising groups of people based on misinformation.
“We, however, advise that infected persons be isolated and disinfectants should be used for environmental sanitation. People should continue wearing a mask and wash hands with soaps etc,’’ said the information released by the Ministry.
Medical complications with the disease include secondary infections, pneumonia, sepsis, encephalitis and Corneal involvement (may lead to loss of vision), said the Ministry.
``The extent to which asymptomatic infection occurs is unknown. The case fatality ratio of Monkeypox has historically ranged from 0 to 11% in the general population and has been higher among young children. In recent times, the case fatality ratio has been around 3-6%,’’ it added.
The Ministry further said that while human-to-human transmission is known to occur primarily through large respiratory droplets generally requiring a prolonged close contact, animal-to-human transmission may occur by bite or scratch of infected animals like small mammals including rodents (rats, squirrels) and non-human primates (monkeys, apes) or through bush meat preparation.
The Ministry, in its guidelines on Monkeypox, further cautioned that while Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting from 2 to 4 weeks, severe cases occur more commonly among children and are related to the extent of virus exposure, patient health status and nature of complications.
India is yet to confirm any positive Monkeypox case in children while the country reported its first death due to the disease in Kerala of a 22-year old man early this month.
Monkeypox (MPX) is a viral zoonotic disease with symptoms similar to smallpox, although with less clinical severity. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the present series of outbreaks being reported, this is the first time that chains of transmission are reported in Europe without known epidemiological links to West or Central Africa.
Natural reservoir is yet unknown. However, certain rodents (including rope squirrels, tree squirrels, Gambian pouched rats, dormice) and non-human primates are known to be naturally susceptible to Monkeypox virus. The incubation period (interval from infection to onset of symptoms) of Monkeypox is usually from 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 days. Also the period of communicability is 1-2 days before the rash until all the scabs fall off/get subsided, said the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry.
``Suspected case would be that of a person having history of travel to affected countries within last 21 days presenting with an unexplained acute rash and one or more of symptoms including -- Swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, bodyache and profound weakness,’’ notes the guidelines.
