The Indian government has released an advisory on monkeypox infection. Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra has issued the advisory to States/UTs in view of WHO’s declaration of Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) related to monkeypox.
The government has highlighted the clinical picture of the infection and has mentioned that most cases of monkeypox are young males with a median age of 34 years, which is between the age of 18 and 44 years.
As per the WHO, Globally, 96.4% of cases with available data are male, with a median age of 34 years. The age and sex distribution of cases remain stable over time, especially outside the African Region, as males between 18-44 years old continue to be disproportionately affected by this outbreak and account for 79.4% of reported cases.As per a 2023 study, during the current outbreak, 96.4% of patients were male, with a median age of 34 years. In 84.2% of cases, patients identified their sexual orientation as bisexual, gay, or men who have sex with men. The study published in the World Journal of Emergency Medicine, found that in large urban areas, 95.7% and 2.3% of cases were in males and females, respectively, and in rural areas, 94.7% and 4.6% of cases were in males and females, respectively.
Among modes of transmission reported globally, sexual contact is the most commonly reported, followed by person to person non-sexual contact.
The government has highlighted the clinical picture of the infection and has mentioned that most cases of monkeypox are young males with a median age of 34 years, which is between the age of 18 and 44 years.
As per the WHO, Globally, 96.4% of cases with available data are male, with a median age of 34 years. The age and sex distribution of cases remain stable over time, especially outside the African Region, as males between 18-44 years old continue to be disproportionately affected by this outbreak and account for 79.4% of reported cases.As per a 2023 study, during the current outbreak, 96.4% of patients were male, with a median age of 34 years. In 84.2% of cases, patients identified their sexual orientation as bisexual, gay, or men who have sex with men. The study published in the World Journal of Emergency Medicine, found that in large urban areas, 95.7% and 2.3% of cases were in males and females, respectively, and in rural areas, 94.7% and 4.6% of cases were in males and females, respectively.
Among modes of transmission reported globally, sexual contact is the most commonly reported, followed by person to person non-sexual contact.
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“While no new case of Mpox has been reported in India in the current outbreak, and none of the samples in suspected cases tested at NIV Pune have tested positive, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare continues to closely monitor the evolving situation,” the government advisory reads.
The WHO has categorised monkeypox as a global health concern. This year a new strain of the monkeypox virus has been identified. The disease, which was limited to the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been identified in newer East African countries like Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
The common symptoms of monkeypox infection are swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, body aches and profound weakness.