Monkeypox: Centre calls meeting of top experts, to revisit guidelines 

Centre has called a meeting of top health experts to discuss the need to revisit existing guidelines on management of the monkeypox disease. The meeting is currently underway. The development comes on the back of rising monkeypox cases in the country. India has reported nine cases of the disease including one death so far.  

The meeting has been chaired by Dr L Swastichandran, director of Emergency Medical Relief (EMR). Officials from the National Aids Control Organisation, National Centre for Diseases Control and World Health Organisation (WHO) representatives.  

An official told news agency PTI, “This is a technical meeting to revisit the existing guidelines.” As per the existing ‘Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease’ issued by the Centre, any person having a history of travel to affected countries within the last 21 days presenting with an acute rash and reporting symptoms like swollen lymph nodes, fever, headaches, body aches and profound weakness will be considered a ‘suspected case.’ 

A ‘probable case’ is a person meeting the case definition for a suspected case, clinically compatible illness and has a link like face-to-face exposure – healthcare professionals without appropriate PPE kits, direct physical contact with skin/skin lesions, sexual contact or contact with contaminated material (bedding, clothing, utensils).  

Guidelines further state that those people identified as suspected cases or probable ones can be asked to identify contacts in household, workplace, school/nursery, sexual contacts, healthcare, houses of worship, transportation, sports, social gatherings any other recalled interactions.  

Contacts need to be monitored at least daily for any symptoms/sings for a period of 21 days from the last contact with a patient or their contaminated material during the infection period. A lab/clinical test is important in case fever is reported.  

According to WHO, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis or a virus transmitted to humans from animals with symptoms similar to smallpox although less severe.  

(With agency inputs)