Could Mpox lead to another Covid-like pandemic? ‘We should be worried…’ say experts | Mint

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has approved the Bavarian Nordic vaccine for monkeypox or Mpox, the first to be approved for use in African countries affected by the outbreak.

Concerns have grown about the spread of the disease in the country after the Union Health Ministry advised increased screening after India’s first case of monkeypox was reported on September 8, 2024. The scare comes several years after the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the country’s healthcare infrastructure.

Monkeypox: Should India be worried?

Speaking to Livemint, Dr Arun Gupta, president of the Delhi Medical Council, said there is a lot of concern about the spread of the disease. “Yes, we should be concerned. In this period of people moving rapidly across the world, the possibility of the infection spreading is very high,” Dr Gupta told Mint. He said there is a need for a ‘high level of vigilance’ for people coming from abroad.

On September 8, 2024, the first case of ampoxil was suspected in India in a young male patient who had recently arrived from a country where there is a risk of ampoxil infection.

Dr Anant Bhan, a public health researcher from Bhopal, advised that countries like India should keep a close watch on any cases emerging due to people coming from abroad. “Mpox has the potential to cause a global outbreak in 2022, so current trends need to be closely monitored, but at this point, it is unlikely to turn into an ‘epidemic’,” Dr Bhan told Mint.

Monkeypox or COVID-19: Which is more deadly?

Experts further said that although monkeypox is less deadly than Covid-19, it is more likely to spread globally. Livemint“Like all zoonotic diseases (transferred from animals), there is a strong possibility that this disease can spread globally,” said a Kolkata-based consultant physician.

However, the doctor said that human-to-human respiratory spread of the virus (which was seen with Covid-19) appears to be unlikely.

Another expert doctor also said that monkeypox is not as deadly as Covid-19. He said that if 100 people are diagnosed with monkeypox, three to six people may die.

Monkeypox: What do the health bulletins say?

According to the bulletin released by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), India, monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease with symptoms similar to smallpox but with less clinical severity.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared ampox a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) for the first time in July 2022, and for the second time in August 2024.

Monkeypox: Are the symptoms like chickenpox?

Once a person is infected with ampox, obvious symptoms develop within a period of 14 days (incubation period). The consultant doctor said that during the initial one to four days, fever, headache, fatigue and often lymph node enlargement in the neck and armpits are the most common symptoms.

Severe symptoms such as skin lesions appear later. These lesions are blisters that look similar to chickenpox and appear on the face, torso, arms and legs, ranging from a few to thousands in number. What distinguishes monkeypox lesions from chickenpox is that these lesions mostly occur on the palms and soles.

In rare cases, the skin lesions also affect other areas, such as the genitals, or are associated with oral ulcers (pharyngitis) and conjunctival damage.

The doctor further said that wounds also appeared on the genitals and there was painful swelling in the lymph nodes inside the groin.

Speaking about precautions to be taken against mpox, the consultant physician said mpox spreads primarily through skin-to-skin contact. “Close contact and especially sexual contact with a person infected with mpox should be avoided,” the doctor said.

Check here for more updates