Kerala issues SOP for treatment, isolation of monkeypox cases

Kochi, July 20: The Kerala government issued standard operating procedures (SOP) for isolation, sample collection and treatment of those infected or showing signs of monkeypox. The state government on Tuesday started testing for monkeypox infection at the Alappuzha NIV with testing kits brought from Pune NIV.

 

 

India had reported a second confirmed case of monkeypox from Kerala's Kannur district. It was a patient, who arrived in Kerala on July 13, was a native of Kannur in north Kerala and was undergoing treatment at the Pariyaram Medical College there.

 

The first case of monkeypox, a rare but potentially serious viral illness, was reported in the Kollam district of south Kerala on July 14. He is currently undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram. Both their samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, and they tested positive for the virus.

 

According to the World Health Organisation, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals), with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe. With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and the subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health.

 

 

 

1) Any person who travelled to a monkeypox-infected country in the last 21 days and is witnessing red spots on the body along with other symptoms, like fever, headache, body ache or fever, should suspect infection by the virus.

 

2) Kerala Health Minister, in a release, said the that risk of infection is high through close physical or direct physical contact or sexual intercourse with a monkeypox-infected person. She said anyone who come in these categories would come under primary contact list.

 

3)  The monkeypox infection is detected through a PCR test. Suspected monkeypox cases in Kerala will be treated separately or in isolation, according to the Health department's SOP.

 

4)  George also informed that the samples should be collected according to the protocols laid down for the infection by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) and the District Surveillance Officer (DSO) would be accountable for sending the same to the testing lab.

 

 

5)  It said that the referrals from private hospitals to government facilities should be done on patient request. Only seriously ill patients from state-run hospital with isolation facilities should be referred to medical colleges in Kerala.

 

6)  While shifting monkeypox infected people from one hospital to another, the health professionals and patients should wear PPE kit, N95 masks, gloves and goggles. Any wound on the patients' body should also be covered. After receiving the patient, the ambulance, and equipments therein should be disinfected. The SOP also stated that the patients' clothing should also be disposed off.

 

7)  The Health Minister informed that the confirmed cases of monkeypox should be treated according to the Central government's guidelines and in case of any doubt regarding treatment, the state medical board should be consulted.

 

8)  Anyone showing symptoms of monkeypox like fever would be examined for red spots on the body by a medical team available on airports as all the international airports in the state have thermal scanners.