Lok Nayak Hospital, Delhi has been declared the nodal centre for managing cases of monkeypox. The state government has ordered the hospital to be prepared for isolation and treatment of suspected or confirmed cases even though no monkeypox cases have yet been detected in the city.

The order was issued in response to the first confirmed case of monkeypox in a 35-year-old man in Kerela. According to Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director of Lok Nayak Hospital, the hospitals personnel and clinicians are receiving training on the standard operating procedure (SOP) for isolation, contact tracing, and managing cases of monkeypox.

Among the 3,413 laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox and one death in 50 countries being reported by the WHO, 80% are from the European Union, and 11% are from the Americas. Experts recommended thorough screening of individuals arriving from affected nations as early identification and isolation of confirmed cases were essential for halting the diseases spread.

According to a recent directive issued by the health ministry, even one case of monkeypox is to be considered as an outbreak. A monkeypox case is confirmed by specific viral DNA sequences that are found by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or sequencing. Once confirmed the patients should be monitored for 21 days from the last contact. Prompt action needs to be taken through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme to control the spread. (ETHealthWorld, Jul 16, 2022)