Monkeypox spreads to over 60 countries, India sees 1st case| 10 global updates

Monkeypox cases: More than 9,000 cases from over 60 countries have been recorded, the WHO said earlier this week.

India on Thursday registered its first case of monkeypox from Kerala as a man who had recently returned from the UAE was confirmed to have been infected with the virus. Shortly after, the central government rushed a high-level multi-disciplinary team to the southern state. The country’s first case comes nearly two months after the spread of the virus - beyond Africa - to “non-endemic” nations had sparked concerns. Worldwide, over 60 countries have seen patients infected with the virus so far.

Monkeypox cases were  usually reported from African countries including Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, and Sierra Leone. (HT PHOTO.)(HT_PRINT)

Here are ten global updates:

1, The Kerala man, infected with the virus, hails from the Kollam district. He returned from the UAE on July 12. The state’s health minister, Veena George, told reporters that the case was confirmed through the testing of the samples of the symptomatic person at the National Institute of Virology, Pune. “All those who came in contact with the man have been isolated and they are being closely observed,” she said.

2. The centre “is taking proactive steps by monitoring the situation carefully and coordinating with states in case of any such possibility of outbreak occurs,” read a statement by the union health ministry soon after.

3. “The Central team to Kerala comprises of experts drawn from National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. RML Hospital, New Delhi and senior officials from Ministry of Health & Family Welfare along with experts from Regional Office of Health & Family Welfare, Kerala,” it added.

4. Earlier this week, the WHO said that over 9,000 cases from 63 countries were recorded, a majority of them since May.

5. Dr. Harold Varmus of the WHO highlighted three pronged approach at the briefing.

“First, WHO is working closely with civil society and LGBTIQ+ community, especially to tackle the stigma around the virus and spread information so people can stay safe. Second, WHO continues to work with countries and vaccine manufacturers to coordinate the sharing of vaccines, which are currently scarce. Third, WHO continues to work with countries and experts to drive forward research and development,” he said.

6. The Emergency Committee of the WHO for monkeypox will reconvene next week - on July 21 - and “look at trends, how effective the counter-measures are and make recommendations for what countries and communities should do to tackle the outbreak,” the WHO said.

7. Of the total cases, about 1,000 cases have been reported from the United States alone. A majority of the roughly 1,000 cases reported in the U.S. have been among men who have sex with men, but health officials stress that anyone can get the disease, news agency AP reported.

8. Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.

9. Saudi Arabia on Thursday recorded its first case. A majority of cases have also been registered from European nations, including the United Kingdom.

10. According to the WHO, monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting from 2 to 4 weeks. Severe cases can occur. In recent times, the case fatality ratio has been around 3–6% per cent.