All You Need To Know About Monkeypox Via Chandra Ganjoo

According to CDC (Centre for Disease Control) as of July 15, 12556 Monkeypox cases from 68 countries have been reported globally, with 12333 Monkeypox cases belonging to 62 non endemic countries. India recently reported its first case of Monkeypox virus, a man hailing from Kerala returned from UAE was confirmed as the carrier of the virus, as the news broke a high level multidisciplinary task force was immediately sent to Kerala by the centre government to prevent and monitor the spread, the Kerala government has also stepped-up vigil by delegating teams to monitor the flight members who boarded the flight with man and also his family members who may have come in contact with him. 

What are the symptoms and some preventions measures for Monkeypox? 

Monkeypox is a rare viral disease caused by infection with the Monkeypox virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus, and exhibiting clinically identical characteristics to smallpox. Initial symptoms of monkeypox in humans include fever, chills, muscular pains, headaches, and fatigue. These symptoms are identical to those of smallpox. The most accurate clinical indicator for distinguishing monkeypox from smallpox is the expansion or swelling of the lymph nodes, often known as lymphadenopathy. This occurs most often in the submental, cervical, submandibular, and inguinal lymph nodes. 

Monkeypox symptoms include fever & headache, back pain & muscle aches, enlarged/swallow lymph nodes, chills & exhaustion. A rash that can resemble pimples or blisters and that can form on the face, the inside of the mouth, the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or the excretory organ. Before the rash entirely disappears, it passes through several stages. Usually, the disease lasts 2-4 weeks, sometimes the rash appears first, then the accompanying symptoms while some people merely get only a rash. 

Patients need to be separated from family members and pets in a room or area if they have significant lesions or respiratory problems, those who are infected and other family members should wear surgical masks. Long sleeves, long pants, and bandages should all be used to cover skin lesions as much as possible to prevent contact with others. Disposable gloves should be worn whenever directly contacting lesions while the patient is in home isolation. To prevent contact with contaminated things, an infected person's mattress, towels, and clothing can be laundered in the automobile, in the home, non-infected family members shouldn't use the same dishes or utensils. After handling lesion-related materials, clothing, or other surfaces, infected individuals and household contacts should wash their hands. 

Do you think India is alert to the global rise in Monkeypox cases? 

Monkeypox has been detected in India, and the Indian government has stepped up the vigil and monitoring efforts accordingly, we as a country are on a high alert and I think we are better prepared for any eventuality. The country is also keeping an eye on the World Health Organization (WHO) warnings and advises related to monkeypox virus.  

Do you think India is prepared for a serious Monkeypox outbreak? 

As the virus is spreading mostly in non-endemic nations like Europe, the USA, and others. However, only one case has been detected in India so far. As a precaution to prevent a serious outbreak of monkeypox, we have developed the Monkeypox virus detection Real-Time PCR-based kit. The ICMR-National Institute of Virology in Pune has recently been asked by the WHO's country office in India to assist with testing suspected cases of monkeypox for SEAR member-states. 

What can you tell us about Trivitron Healthcare's Real-Time PCR kit to detect Monkeypox Virus? How accurate do you think the kit is? 

A kit based on RT-PCR has been created by Trivitron Healthcare's research and development team to detect the monkeypox virus. The Monkeypox Real-Time PCR Kit from Trivitron is a four-color fluorescence-based kit that can distinguish between Smallpox and Monkeypox in a one-tube single reaction format with a one-hour turnaround time. In this four-gene RT-PCR kit, the first target detects viruses in the orthopoxviruses group, the second and third targets detect and distinguish the monkeypox and smallpox viruses, respectively, and the fourth target detects the internal control corresponding to human cell to address assay performance and support the epidemiological investigation. This kit is solely for research use only. 

What are some dos/don’ts for a Monkeypox patient? 

According to WHO, the patient affected with monkeypox must stay hydrated. They must be provided with well and balanced diet The patient must not skip their meal. They must stay in isolation until they are completely healed. And as a precaution, patients are advised not to come in contact with animals or other people.