Are we going to face another deadly pandemic like COVID-19? As per reports, a suspected monekypox patient has been admitted to Delhi’s AIIMS. Read on to know more.
Monkeypox Scare In India: With concerns escalating over a potential pandemic outbreak due to the highly contagious Mpox virus, Delhi has been placed on high alert following the detection of the city’s first suspected case. As per reports, a suspected monkeypox patient returning from a foreign trip has been admitted to Delhi All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
After showing monkeypox symptoms, the patient has been isolated and kept in the AB-7 ward of AIIMS, they said. However, the hospital authority has stated that monkeypox has not been confirmed in the patient yet and is currently under the supervision of doctors. Significantly, the Delhi AIIMS on Tuesday issued guidelines for managing patients with monkeypox symptoms amid a global scare about the disease spread in India.
What Is Mpox or Monkeypox Virus?
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare and highly contagious disease caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the orthopoxvirus family. The origin of this virus dates back to 1958, when the first laboratory confirmation of mpox occurred in monkeys in 1958 in Lagos, Nigeria. However, it was only in 1970, that human cases of pox were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other Central African countries. Since then the virus has been evolving, making new strains. To date, there are two different clades of the Mpox virus – Clade-I, and Clade-II.
How Does The Virus Spread From One Individual To Another?
Mpox is known to be a highly contagious virus. According to the studies, the strains of the virus primarily transmit through close contact with an infected person or animal. This can occur through:
- Skin-to-skin contact: Touching a person’s rash, sores, or bodily fluids.
- Respiratory droplets: Inhaling droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze.
- Contact with contaminated materials: Touching items like bedding, towels, or clothing that an infected person has used.
Is Mpox the new COVID? Although the virus has similar traits to the coronavirus, they are still very much different. As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), the world has vaccines that can prevent the spread of the Mpox virus (which was not the coronavirus case). Mpox is also not a new virus and has been evolving and affecting humans since the 1970s. However, one shouldn’t be taking the virus lightly and should make sure to follow preventive measures to stay safe. Scroll down to know how one can easily prevent the Mpox virus from spreading.