First woman tests positive for monkeypox in India
Health Ministry issues advisory as reported cases in the country rise to nine
New Delhi: A woman in New Delhi has tested positive for monkeypox, the first such case in India. It is the fourth case reported from the country’s capital, raising the number of cases to nine.
The 31-year-old Nigerian woman with fever and skin lesions is admitted to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital, sources said, adding that her samples tested positive for the virus on Wednesday.
All nine cases were reported from Delhi and Kerala. On Tuesday, a 35-year-old foreigner with no recent travel history tested positive for monkeypox in Delhi. The man was admitted to the government-run LNJP Hospital.
The Arvind Kejriwal government has asked three private hospitals in the city to set up isolation wards for suspected cases and confirmed patients.
The Health Ministry, on Wednesday, released an advisory warning against close contact with infected persons. Healthcare workers and close relatives of patients are at a greater risk of infection, it added.
The Ministry has advised against sharing linen, bedding or towels with people who have contracted monkeypox and not washing soiled linen or laundry of infected persons with those of non-infected individuals. It added that people should not attend public events if they exhibit symptoms of monkeypox and refrain from stigmatising groups of people based on misinformation.
The Central Government has constituted a task force in the wake of monkeypox cases in India to monitor and provide guidance on expanding diagnostic facilities and exploring vaccination for the infection in the country.