BMC readies isolation ward in Kasturba Hospital for monkeypox

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), monkeypox is caused by a virus from the orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae.

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday set aside a 28-bed ward at Kasturba Hospital for the isolation of suspected monkeypox cases. The civic body also issued an advisory stating that the airport authorities will screen passengers arriving from endemic and non-endemic countries that have recorded outbreaks of the disease.

On May 13, the WHO was notified of two laboratory-confirmed cases and one probable case of monkeypox, from the same household, in the United Kingdom. (Kunal Patil/HT PHOTO)

“For isolation of suspected cases, a separate ward at Kasturba Hospital, ward no. 30 (28 Beds) is prepared, and their testing samples will be sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune,” Dr Mangala Gomare, the executive health officer, said in a media release.

“Health facilities of Mumbai are being informed to notify and refer any suspected case to Kasturba Hospital,” she said, adding that as of Monday, no suspected or confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported in Mumbai.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), monkeypox is caused by a virus from the orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae. It is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions and typically presents with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications.

As of May 21, as many as 92 laboratory-confirmed cases, and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox with investigations ongoing, have been reported to WHO from 12 countries not endemic to monkeypox virus such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA.

“Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting from two to four weeks. Severe cases can occur. Case fatality rate may vary from 1-10%,” the advisory from the civic body stated.