India's monkeypox caseload has touched eight now, with Kerala recording its fifth case and Delhi reporting its third case on Tuesday, 2 August.
Isolation rooms have been set up at Delhi's Safdarjung hospital, RML hospital, and Lady Hardinge hospital to treat monkeypox patients, as per official sources.
Meanwhile, the Kerala government confirmed that a 22-year-old man who died on 30 July following a return from the UAE, has tested positive for monkeypox, making it India's first confirmed monkeypox fatality.
Rajasthan also reported its first suspected case of monkeypox, in a 20-year-old man hospitalized with rashes and a fever.
The Centre formed a task force on Monday, 1 August, to monitor the spread of monkeypox cases in the country.
Globally, the monkeypox caseload continues to rise, with over 17,000 cases being recorded from over 70 countries. California became the third US state to declare a state of emergency following the surge in monkeypox cases in the country.
The World Health Organization declated the ongoing outbreak a global emergency, i.e., a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 23 July.
The WHO has also called a meeting on Tuesday, 2 August, to address the present knowledge gaps for monkeypox vaccines, and identify the optimal method to .
Monkeypox, which is endemic to West and Central Africa, began to spread in people with no prior travel history to the continent in early 2022.
Monkeypox is a self-limiting disease that spreads through close, skin-to-skin contact or through contact with infected clothing or bedding. The disease manifests with rashes on the skin and face, lesions, and a fever.
The present outbreak has been detected predominantly, but not exclusively, in men who have sex with men, according to the WHO. However, the organization has added that many countries have also reported signs of community transmission in women and children as well.
At present, the only vaccines for monkeypox are repurposed smallpox vaccines. While the WHO has said that they will provide support to high risk groups like the immunocompromised, pregnant women, and children, it has advised against mass inoculation to fight the outbreak.
According to epidemiologists, India at present does not have the required second and third-line smallpox vaccines to vaccinate against monkeypox.
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