ICMR Alert; Children At Higher Risk Of Monkeypox Virus

After the rapid spread of monkeypox infection, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued a warning. The health agency says that young children are more prone to this disease, due to which its symptoms will have to be monitored. At present, not a single case of monkeypox has been confirmed in India, but the government is on high alert regarding this infection.

On the other hand, Indian private health device company Trivitron Healthcare has prepared an RT-PCR test kit to test for monkeypox. This kit will be able to give results within 1 hour.

The first case of monkeypox was reported in Argentina on Friday. The patient has recently returned from Spain. A suspected patient of the virus has also been found in the country. Earlier on Tuesday, monkeypox was also confirmed in a woman who returned to the UAE from West Africa.

Let us inform you that so far 226 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in 21 countries. The WHO said on Friday that nearly 100 suspected patients have been reported from countries where monkeypox is not commonly found. The first case of monkeypox was reported in the UK on 7 May.

However, it is a relief that no genetic changes have been found in the monkeypox virus. That is, the virus has not yet mutated in humans. How this disease spread outside Africa, scientists are still trying to find out.

On Monday, World Health Organization (WHO) advisor Dr. David Heyman told the news agency AP that the reason for the spread of monkeypox infection among gay men could be two gay sex parties in Spain and Belgium. Monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease (STD). However, coming close to an infected person during sex can spread the disease.