A 35-year-old Nigerian man living in Delhi tested positive for monkeypox on Monday, taking the total number of cases in the country to eight. This is the third case of the viral disease in the national capital.
The man has been admitted to Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital. According to official, he had not recent international travel history.
Meanwhile, replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said a national task force has been set up to monitor the development of diagnostics and vaccines.
“Till date eight cases of the disease have been detected in India, out of which five have foreign travel history,” he said.
The minister informed that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had successfully isolated the monkeypox virus and an expression of interest had been floated for research institutions, vaccine and diagnostic kits manufacturers in India to take the virus strain for further research to develop a vaccine in the country.
Airport and port health officers have been instructed to remain vigilant and undertake rigorous health screening of incoming international passengers.
Mandaviya said India had started preparation to tackle the virus soon after it was first reported globally in May.
India's first case was reported in Kerala on July 14. The southern state has so far reported five cases with the latest being a 30-year-old man who came to the state from the UAE last month. He tested positive on Tuesday morning.
With the disease spreading only through close and deep contacts, no specific community is at risk and the government has taken up steps to create awareness about common symptoms, reporting of suspected cases and prevention from the disease, he added.
