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Pune civic body directs private hospitals to start surveillance for Mpox
We have decided to team up with the private hospitals and doctors to counter the Mpox threat. A meeting will be held with the private doctors to discuss what can be done for early identification and prevent the spread, says Dr Nina Borade, health officer of PMC
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health department on Thursday issued a letter to all private practitioners and hospitals to start surveillance for Mpox cases.
Dr Nina Borade, health officer of PMC, informed a letter has been given to all private and PMC-run hospitals and private doctors to start Mpox surveillance.
“The suspected patients with symptoms should be isolated and tested. Treatment should be provided as per the guidelines issued by the ministry of health and family welfare,” she said.
The common symptoms are skin rash or mucosal lesions that can last two to four weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle ache, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes. Mpox can be transmitted to humans through physical contact with infected humans or infected animals. Laboratory confirmation of Mpox is carried out by testing skin lesion material by polymerase chain reactions.
Dr Borade, said, “We have decided to team up with the private hospitals and doctors to counter the Mpox threat. A meeting will be held with the private doctors to discuss what can be done for early identification and prevent the spread.”
Globally since 2022, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported 99,176 cases and 208 deaths across 116 countries due to Mpox. A total 30 cases have been detected in India since 2022 with the last case detected as recently in March 2024.
Dr Suryakant Deokar, assistant health officer and head of vector-borne disease control programme, PMC, informed the government hospitals and private hospitals have been asked to be more cautious while treating patients in the dermatology, venereology, medicine, and pediatric departments.
“Suspected patients should be isolated, and samples should be sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune for testing,” he said.
He further added that the doctors should report cases on priority to PMC. “The delay on the part of private doctors and labs in reporting such cases leads to delays in containment activities, isolation and contact tracing and may lead to the spread of the Mpox disease,” said Dr Deokar.
