Test suspects, trace contacts: Health ministry’s ampox advice to states
The Health Ministry has issued an advisory to states to track and monitor cases of ampox.
The Central government on Monday issued a fresh advisory to states and Union Territories on the issue of tracking and surveillance of cases of ampox, which has been declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
In its advisory, the Union Health Ministry said that no case of ampox has been reported in the current outbreak in India. However, state governments have been advised to remain vigilant and follow various guidelines of the ministry on surveillance strategies and setting up isolation facilities to track and deal with suspected and confirmed cases of the disease.
The National Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) is actively monitoring the country to identify any MPOX clusters, the ministry said. Health screening of arriving passengers at entry points such as airports has been intensified and the laboratory network under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been strengthened to test samples of suspected cases, the ministry said.
The advisory said that states should pay special attention to health workers, especially those working in skin and STD (sexually transmitted diseases) clinics, so that they are aware of the common signs and symptoms of ampox and the action to be taken after diagnosis.
From hospital-based surveillance to intervention sites identified by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), all suspected cases in the community should be screened and tested.
“While all States are requested to undertake appropriate activities to make the communities aware about the disease, its mode of transmission, need for timely reporting and preventive measures, it is also important to prevent any undue panic among the public,” the advisory said.
In August, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared ampox (formerly known as monkeypox) a public health emergency of international concern. The decision was taken due to the increasing spread of ampox in several countries and the emergence of a new strain called clade 1B.
India detected 30 cases of the older strain, known as Clade 2, between 2022 and March 2024.
