Monkeypox spread worldwide has triggered huge concerns. More than 31,000 cases have been registered this year.
New Delhi: An African lady, 22, who tested positive for the infection has been identified as Delhi’s sixth case of monkeypox, according to government sources on Saturday. A month prior, the woman had traveled to Nigeria.
Her reports, which confirmed that she was positive, were released on Friday night after she was brought to LNJP Hospital two days prior. She is the second woman to develop the virus in the national capital.
Also Read: Amid Spike In Monkeypox Cases, WHO Declares Health Emergency
When a Nigerian woman was discovered to be afflicted with the virus last week, the city had registered its fourth patient. India has so far reported at least 10 cases of the viral infection. Kerala has reportedly experienced one death.
The United States is one of the worst-hit nations in the world, and Europe is one of the worst-hit continents. This year, more than 31,000 cases have been reported worldwide in more than 80 nations that have never previously reported the virus. Over 11,000 cases have already been reported in the US alone.
Assuring lawmakers that the virus is not a novel one, union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya allayed fears earlier this month.
“Monkeypox is not a new disease in India and in the world. Since 1970, a lot of cases have been seen in the world from Africa. The WHO (World Health Organization) has paid special attention to this. Monitoring has started in India also,” he had said.
Lessons learnt amid the pandemic would prove to be helpful in the fight against monkeypox, he had asserted.
While the US and Europe are considering vaccines used for smallpox in prevention against the monkeypox virus, experts in India are also said to be holding discussions on the viable path forward.
The monkeypox outbreak prompted the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency last month.
The global health organisation also stated that because the majority of infections are documented among gay males, “stigma can be as harmful as the virus.”
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
