Bhubaneswar: After the Centre’s interim advisory raising alertness over the monkeypox situation, the Odisha government has asked the States to maintain caution.
Reportedly, in wake of the rapid surge in the viral cases abroad, the government has asked the States to maintain caution as the chances of this disease occurring in India cannot be ruled out.
State Health director Bijay Mohapatra on Saturday said there has been no reports of any monkeypox cases in Odisha or anywhere else in the country now.
The government has dispatched advisory to ICDC and ICMR to keep a close watch on the situation and send samples to NIV Pune only in cases where people are found displaying certain specific symptoms of the disease.
The Health Ministry has suggested the following public actions to be followed to increase surveillance against the disease.
Health facilities to keep heightened suspicion in people who:
a. Exhibits an otherwise unexplained rash
b. Have travelled, in the last 21 days, to a country that has recently had confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox or
c. Reports contact with a person or people with confirmed or suspected monkeypox
All suspected cases are to be isolated at designated healthcare facilities until all lesions have resolved and a fresh layer of skin has formed OR until the treating physician decides to end isolation.
All such patients are to be reported to the District Surveillance Officer of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.
All infection control practices are to be followed while treating such patients.
Laboratory samples consisting of fluid from vesicles, blood, sputum etc are to be sent to NIV Pune for Monkeypox testing in case of suspicion.
In case a positive case is detected, contact tracing has to be initiated immediately to identify the contacts of the patient in the last 21 days.
