Patna: A woman is suspected to have developed the symptoms akin to Monkeypox in Patna. If confirmed medically, she will be the first woman in India to suffer from Monkeypox, the outbreak of which prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) declare it a health emergency.
The woman is a resident of Gurhatta area of Patna City. A team of State Health department rushed her home and collected the biological samples of the patients for pathological tests. “Prima facie, she appears to be a patient of Monkeypox. We are at a loss to say anything with confidence as of now as both Monkeypox and small pox have many similar symptoms. We are waiting for the results of pathological tests. The woman been told to isolate herself until the results arrive,” said the doctor of the team.
However, experts suspect that the previous trends of spread of the disease suggest that it more a sexually communicable disease. The patients diagnosed with travel history suggest that homosexuality could be major factor for transmission of the disease.
- A 35-year-old man from Kollam, Kerala had returned from a trip to the UAE on July 12 and he was found monkeypox positive
- A 31-year-old man had returned from Dubai on July 13 in Kannur city of Kerala and he was later diagnosed with same disease
- Another man, 35, of Malappuram, Kerala, was found down with monkeypox virus after his return from the United Arab Emirates on July 6
- A 34-year-old patient has been found positive in Delhi after attending a party in Manali few days ago.
In all four of these cases, the infected are males and all are 35 years of age or less. However, after the surfacing of Delhi case, the people are in a state of panicky if they could get infected without travelling abroad.
What is Monkeypox disease?
According to the doctors, this infectious disease is caused by a virus named monkeypox. It is part of the orthopox virus family. Body of the infected persons develop rashes like smallpox. However, the symptoms of the disease are mild, not as severe as those of smallpox. It is fatal in very few cases. It shall be clear that the Mokeypox has nothing to do with the smallpox.
Can Monkeypox spread through spit, sneeze, blood and sperm?
Monkeypox is a contagious disease, which mainly spreads in three ways—skin to skin contact; through body fluid like sputum, sneeze, sweat from an infected person and by coming in contact with the rashes. The doctors say that there is remote possibility of the virus being transmitted through the blood. The sperms, however, could play a major role in transmission of virus from one person to another.
The countries that reported most cases
- Nation-Cases
- Spain – 3125
- USA – 2891
- Germany – 2268
- United Kingdom – 2208
- France – 1562
- Netherlands – 712
- Canada – 690
- Portugal – 588
- Italy – 408
- Belgium – 312
Also Read: People risk transmitting Covid19 while talking, finds study
Is Monkeypox a sexually transmitted disease?
A report in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that about 98% of patients with Monkeypox infection are gay men or bisexual men. In such a situation, the question arises if Monkeypox is a sexually transmitted disease.
‘Monkeypox cases have been found more in men who have sex with men. We should remain sensitive and free from discrimination in fighting this health emergency,” said an expert. The other expert said that most cases of Monkeypox have been found in men, but we cannot call it a sexually transmitted disease right now. Research is going on whether it is a sexually transmitted disease.
They however don’t disagree that this disease could also be transmitted through to contact of two people during the sexual acts.
Also Read: Differentiate between common cold & Covid before treatment
Will Monkeypox spread like an epidemic?
According to an infectious disease specialist, there is no epidemic in the country due to Monkeypox. He gave three logic to buttress his claims.
- Monkeypox is a 50 year old disease and there are three vaccines available in the marketto prevent spreading like an epidemic.
- The WHO has declared a World Health Emergency seven times in the past 13 years. However, it was only during the Corona virus outbreak that shaped up like a pandemic.
- Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease, which spreads from animal to human. Such diseases have been surfacing from time to time and it was never seen spreading as fast as Covid. It can be checked easily.
