Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct. 3: With the recent surge of Mpox (Monkey pox) Cases in India with tally reaching 33 cases this week, we need to gear up our knowledge on prevention of the disease. Mpox is a zoonotic viral disease with symptoms similar to Smallpox, though less severe. Severe cases are more common in children and depend on factors such as virus exposure, patient health, and complications. It spreads through prolonged close contact with an infected person or direct contact with body fluids, lesion material, or contaminated items like clothing or linens, and also through respiratory routes.

Once the virus enters the human body, it shows symptoms in 6-13 days and even between 5-21 days also. Following the incubation period, the exposed person starts getting symptoms such as fever, headaches, muscle pain, malaise, sore throat, chills, dry cough and swelling of lymph nodes in various parts of the body.  Typical umbilicated skin rash develop over the body which develops in four stages of macular, popular, vesicular and pustular. The rash gets over by 2-4 weeks after shedding the scab on the skin. An infected person remains infective from 02 days before start of the symptoms and remains so till the last scab falls off/gets subsided.

To prevent the disease one should follow few steps such as:

-Avoid contact with materials (e.g., bedding, clothing) that have been in contact with infected individuals.

-Isolating infected patients from others.

-Practicing good hand hygiene, such as washing hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizers, especially after contact with infected animals or humans.

-Using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when caring for patients.

-Properly containing and disposing of contaminated waste (e.g., dressings) under Biomedical Waste Management guidelines for infectious waste.

People have been requested to be vigilant. They have also been asked to avoid any misinformation and panic messages with regards to Mpox. If anyone finds a suspected case or contacts in their locality, they have been requested to inform 232102 with details for getting medical assistance.