Union Health Ministry issued guidelines to states and union territories regarding monkeypox

In view of the increasing cases of monkeypox in non-endemic countries, the government has become active. The government on Tuesday issued a guideline, emphasizing on surveillance, rapid detection and isolation.

However, no case of monkeypox has been reported in India yet. Non-endemic means countries where the disease has not originated, but has come from outside. 

In a guideline issued to the states and union territories, the Union Health Ministry has emphasized on monitoring and rapid identification of new cases as a public health measure to prevent possible spread of the disease. The ministry has said that even though no case of monkeypox has been reported in the country, there is a need to be prepared in view of its increasing cases in non-endemic countries.

Monkeypox is actually a rare viral infection similar to smallpox. It was first discovered in 1958 in monkeys kept for research. Since once this disease was spread among monkeys, hence it was named monkeypox. The first case of monkeypox in humans was reported in 1970. The disease mainly occurs in tropical rainforest regions of Central and West Africa. The virus belongs to the Paxviridae family, which also includes the viruses that cause smallpox.