India now has 9 monkeypox cases: How the virus is spreading in the country

The Covid cases are again on the rise in India but its another disease that must be worrying the country. A total of 9 monkeypox cases and one death related to it has been reported in India so far.

Out of the 9 cases, Kerala has reported five, with one fatality. Delhi accounts for the rest of the 4 cases. A high-level review meeting is being held today by the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

India’s monkeypox timeline:

• First three cases from Kerala: India reported the first case of monkeypox on July 14. A 35-year-old man, who had returned from UAE, tested positive in Kerala. Later, a Kannur native, who had returned from Dubai on July 13, tested positive in Kerala on July 18.
• On July 22, another traveller from UAE who returned to Kerala on July 6, tested positive making it the third monkeypox case in India.
• Delhi’s first monkeypox case, India’s fourth: Delhi reported the fourth case of monkeypox in India on July 25. Unlike the previous cases from Kerala, the 34-year-old man had no travel history to countries affected by the disease.
• Kerala and Delhi continued to report more cases with each day taking the total count of the country to 9 - 5 from Kerala, 4 from Delhi (out of which one is a Nigerian national).
• All five patients in Kerala have a travel history to UAE whereas, 3 out of 4 cases from Delhi do not have any travel history.

What’s the current status? Government officials and experts will discuss the current situation and future plans that will help control the increasing cases in the country.

• AIIMS Delhi has also started conducting tests for monkeypox. Samples are being collected by the virology lab to detect monkeypox. Along with AIIMS’ lab, 14 other labs have also been authorised across the country to collect samples and conduct tests.
• According to the existing guidelines, the central government has declared that anyone presenting symptoms of monkeypox with a travelling history to affected countries within 21 days should be considered a suspect.

Stay alert, stay safe!
Learn more about the symptoms and treatment for #Monkeypox.

Learn more here https://t.co/4uKjkY53cL pic.twitter.com/gmBYDckfEJ

— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) August 4, 2022

Around the world: More than 25,000 monkeypox cases have been reported around the world. France, Germany, UK, US and Spain are the worst-hit countries.

The US has logged more than 6,000 cases and around 4,000 cases have been reported in Spain.

Cases of monkeypox continue to grow worldwide. Since May, the monkeypox outbreak has seen more than 26,000 cases in 87 countries. India has reported nine cases of monkeypox so far. #DIU #Monkeypox pic.twitter.com/5pRq5jEPp9

— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) August 4, 2022

Monkeypox spreads from direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person. Isolation and other Covid precautions can help control the transfer of monkeypox.