A second case of monkeypox infection — in a 31-year-old man who arrived in India from Dubai on July 13 — was confirmed in Kerala on Monday (July 18). The patient, who has been admitted to the government hospitality.
The first case of the disease was reported on July 14 — a 35-year-old person who returned from Dubai. A high-level team sent to Kerala to collaborate with state authorities in implementing public health measures.
The WHO has said that a multi-country outbreak is currently underway, including in places where the disease has not typically found before — in Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Western Pacific, and countries of the Eastern Mediterranean. Even in those parts of Africa where cases have been previously reported — Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic — the incidence of infection in 2022 has been higher than usual.
Out of 11,500 confirmed cases globally so far, 1,469 are in the United States and 1,856 are in the UK, Reuters reported on Monday. The largest number of cases were in Spain — nearly 2,500.
Monkeypox is a largely self-limiting disease — which means it will resolve itself on its own, and will leave no long-term harmful effects on a patient’s health. Most children and adults with healthy immune systems will not, even if they are infected, come down with severe illness.
The smallpox vaccine, with which older Indians have been over the past decades, works against monkeypox, and provides long-lasting immunity. The smallpox eradicated in India in 1977.
“The bottom line is that even those that were vaccinated many decades before maintain a very, very high level of antibodies,” The New York Times quoted scientific director of the National Institute on Aging, as saying. “Even if they were vaccinated 50 years ago, that protection should still be there.”
The certain groups are more vulnerable to the infection, which can present some difficult phases, especially if it infects the lungs and eyes.
Human to human transmission is known to occur primarily through large respiratory droplets. As such, transmission generally requires prolonged close contact with an infected individual.
The Union Health Ministry says monkeypox can also be transmitted through direct contact with body fluids or lesion material, and indirect contact with lesion material, such as through contaminated clothing or linen.
However, monkeypox is primarily a disease that is transmitted from infected animals to humans. Animal-to-human transmission is the primary way in which the disease has spread in Africa, but the conditions for such transmission would be rare in India.
The Health Ministry says animal-to-human transmission can happen through the bite or scratch of infected animals like small mammals including rodents — rats, squirrels, etc. — and non-human primates like monkeys and apes, or through bush meat preparation.
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There is no proven treatment for monkeypox yet. The WHO recommends supportive treatment depending on the symptoms. Those infected are advised to isolate immediately.
According to the Ministry of Health guidelines on supportive management of monkeypox, skin rashes should be cleaned with simple antiseptic, and covered with light dressing in case of extensive lesions. Oral ulcers should be managed with warm saline gargles.
Doctors say monkeypox is a very well-understood condition that can be managed efficiently with available clinical remedies. “We urge individuals to not panic and most importantly, not confuse monkeypox with another common viral infection,” said Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases Hospital.
No specific vaccine for monkeypox is widely available at the moment.
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