UP on alert over monkeypox cases

As cases of monkeypox are rising across the globe, Uttar Pradesh has decided to put persons with international travel history on its radar.

The officer of the director, infectious diseases, said: "Monitoring of people with rashes that cannot be related to an illness, particularly those who have recently travelled to a country where monkeypox cases were reported or had come in contact with a monkeypox patient, need to be monitored and asked to stay in isolation."

The department issued an advisory on Thursday evening saying that passengers coming from other states with a history of international travel will be under focus.

Health officials have been directed to follow the standard operating procedures (SoPs).

A senior health official said: "Suspected patients need to stay in isolation until they get new skin on the spot of rashes or the doctor advises to end isolation. Blood and sputum samples will be sent to National Institute of Virology, Pune and contact-tracing of people who came in contact with a patient should be done up to a period of past 21 days, according to the advisory sent to all chief medical officers in the state."

Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary-general, Association of International Doctors, said: "A majority of monkeypox patients have reported fever and rashes and swollen lymph nodes and it is suspected the human-to-human transmission is via big respiratory droplets.

"Though there has been no case of monkeypox in India till May 22 but there is a need to remain alert."

Monkeypox is a self-limiting disease and symptoms may stay up to four weeks.

Cases have been reported from the UK, US, Europe, Canada and Australia.

The incubation period of this disease is 7 to 14 days, but can extend up to 21 days.