Centre issues advisory for states, and UTs to create awareness on Mpox

The Union Health Ministry has released an advisory for all states and union territories on the Mpox disease after India became the third nonAfrican country to report a case of clade 1b Mpox infection recently reported news agency ANIThe Department of Health and Family Welfare on September 26 in its advisory directed that all suspected Mpox cases be isolated and strict infection prevention and control measures be put in placeIt has provided a list of laboratories operationalized for testing The advisory includes clinical management protocols infection prevention and control practices as well as a risk communication strategy reported ANIThe Health Ministry stated that the World Health Organisation had on August 14 2024 announced that the current outbreak of Mpox disease was a Public Health Emergency of International Concern PHEIC reported ANIThis is the second time such Mpox disease associated with PHEIC has been declared by the WHO under the International Health Regulations 2005 to which India is a signatoryThe ministry has instructed the states to assess public health preparedness at health facilities with reviews to be conducted by senior officials at both the state and district levels reported ANIThe ministry has also directed the identification of isolation facilities in hospitals for managing both suspected and confirmed cases ensuring the availability of required logistics and trained human resources in such facilities and developing an augmentation plan reported ANIThe Ministry in its letter said that as per available information the clinical presentation of Mpox clade I in adults remains similar to clade II However the rate of complications may be higher in clade I than with clade II infections reported ANIThis is the second time such a Mpox diseaseassociated PHEIC has been declared by WHO under the International Health Regulations 2005 to which India is a signatory The previous Mpox outbreak that started in 2002 was caused by Mpox virus clade II reported ANIThe 2024 PHEIC is related to MPox virus clade I which is more virulent and more transmissible than Mpox clade II the release further addedThe clade has been found Democratic Republic Of Congo DRC only during the current outbreak and outside Africa one case each of Mpox clade 1 B has been recently reported from Sweden and Thailand India is the third nonAfrican country to report a case of 1b Mpox infection recently reported ANIAs per available information clinical representation of Mpox clade I in adults remains similar to clade II however the rate of complications may be higher in I than with clade II infections as per the releaseThe Ministry has listed out key public health actions that are required to be undertaken to prevent and minimise the risk of further spread of Mpox in the country reported ANIThese include reviewing public health preparedness particularly at health facility levels at state and district levels by senior officials identification of isolation facilities in hospitals for taking care of the suspects and confirmed cases availability of required logistics and trained human resources in facilities and augmentation plan reported ANIAll suspected Mpox cases should be isolated and strict infection prevention and control measures should be put in place treatment is symptomatic and available treatment guidelines should be followed as per the advisorySamples from skin lesions of any patient with the suspected symptoms of Mpox should be sent to the designated labs immediately and for those that test positive a sample should be sent to designated labs immediately and the positive sample should be sent to ICMRNIV for genome sequencing to determine the clade reported ANIRobust diagnostic testing capability is already available 36 labs supported by ICMR across the country and three commercial PCR kits validated by ICMR that are now approved by CDSCO as per the Union Ministrys advisory to states and union territories reported ANIThe Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said it will continue to monitor the situation closely and we will extend all requisite support in this regard to states and UTsWith inputs from ANI