Monkeypox in India: Country’s tally rises to 9 after 4 test positive in Delhi and 5 in Kerala; vaccine in focus - Top points

New Delhi: Delhi has reported the fourth case of monkeypox, taking India`s tally to nine. A 31-year-old woman tested positive for Monkeypox in the national capital on Wednesday. This is the first case of the disease among women in the country. Out of the total of nine cases, four cases are from Delhi while the remaining five have been reported from Kerala. 

India's first case of monkeypox was reported on July 14 in a man travelling to Kerala. A 31-year-old man from Kannur in Kerala, who returned from Dubai, tested positive for monkeypox on July 18, making it the second confirmed case of the disease in India. Followed by a 34-year-old man from the national capital with no history of foreign travel has tested positive for the monkeypox virus. 

The country also recently reported the death of a man in Kerala’s Thrissur, who had tested positive for monkeypox in the United Arab Emirates before returning to India, state health minister Veena George said on Sunday. 

Here's what we know about monkeypox outbreak in India so far:

- India has reported 9 Monkeypox cases and approximately 100 samples have been tested till August 2, said Dr Pragya Yadav Senior Scientist ICMR-NIV, Pune. "Till now at ICMR NIV Pune and VRDL have tested samples approximate 100 cases as on 2nd August 2022," she said. 

- The 31-year-old Nigerian woman who tested positive for monkeypox has fever and skin lesions and is admitted to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital. Her samples were sent for testing and the results came positive on Wednesday. There is no information about her travelling abroad recently. 

- Earlier on Tuesday, another 35-year-old Nigerian man living in Delhi, with no recent travel history, tested positive for monkeypox. The patient is admitted to Lok Nayak Jaiprakash hospital which comes under the government of Delhi.

- A high-level central multi-disciplinary team of experts has been deployed to assist Kerala's health department in its outbreak control and containment efforts. Kerala also has taken several measures and issued a fresh set of guidelines to deal with the disease.

- In the wake of an increase in the number of Monkeypox cases in the country, isolation rooms have been made operational for the treatment of such infections in three central government hospitals, according to sources. "The isolation rooms for the treatment of Monkeypox patients are operational in three major central government hospitals i.e Safdarjang hospital, RML hospital and Lady Hardinge hospital," official sources told ANI.

- It may be noted that the 20 isolation rooms at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital, while 10 isolation rooms have been set up in Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital (GTB) hospital and 10 at Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital.

- The Joint Secretary in the Union Health Ministry on Monday wrote to Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman, Executive Director and IHR focal point in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), requesting him to intensify screening to ensure that persons exhibiting symptoms suggestive of Monkeypox disease are not allowed to board the flight to minimize the risk of disease transmission.

- Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday, in the wake of the rising cases of Monkeypox in the country, assured citizens not to panic and said that an awareness campaign is being run in collaboration with the state governments to prevent the spread of the infection.

- Mandaviya informed that on the basis of the observations of the task force, we will assess and study the further action to be taken and if the state government of Kerala needs any kind of help from the Central government, it will be given.

- Mandaviya recently held a meeting with Adar Poonawalla, the chief executive officer of Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), to discuss the possibility of a vaccine being developed for the disease. “My meeting went well like always. All preparations for the vaccine are being done. I briefed the minister on this. We are researching the possible ways to develop a vaccine for monkeypox," he informed. 

- Meanwhile, NCDC, Delhi and AIIMS lab has also started testing for Monkeypox as ICMR-NIV is sharing reagents with National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and all over the country network of 15 laboratories has started testing. "There are fifteen Virus research and diagnostic laboratories (VRDLs) trained to undertake the diagnostic testing with ICMR -NIV Pune We have shared reagents to NCDC, Delhi also for performing testing. ICMR-NIV, Pune is a nodal center for testing and coordination," said expert.