Mumbai Civic Body Keeps Isolation Ward Ready For Monkeypox

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set aside a 28-bed ward at Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai for the isolation of suspected monkeypox cases.

Dr Mangala Gomare, Executive Health Officer, BMC said that airport authorities are screening passengers coming from the endemic and non-endemic countries showing outbreaks.

"If any suspected cases are found, they will be referred to Kasturba hospital where the BMC has set up an isolation ward, and their samples will be sent for testing to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV)," Dr Gomare said.

She said that all health facilities in Mumbai have been informed to notify and refer any suspected monkeypox case to the Kasturba Hospital.

"Monkeypox has not been reported in India so far, and there is no need to panic," Dr Gomare said.

In an advisory, the BMC said that it is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting from two to four weeks. "Severe cases can occur and the case fatality rate may vary from 1-10 per cent," it said.

The disease can be transmitted from animals to humans as well as human-to-human. "The virus enters the body through broken skin (even if not visible), respiratory tract or the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth)," the advisory stated.

The disease has an incubation period usually of 7 to 14 days, but can range from 5 to 21 days and the person is usually not contagious during this period. "An infected person may transmit the disease from 1to 2 days before the appearance of the rash and remain contagious till all the scabs fall off," the advisory said.