kolkata: In the wake of a monkeypox alert from the Centre, the state health department has prepared a blueprint and made necessary arrangements to tackle if there is any such case reported in Bengal. Health department has already urged the Calcutta airport authorities to strengthen surveillance and if anybody is found with suspected symptoms at the airport, he/she must be sent to the Beliaghata ID hospital.
Necessary arrangements have been made at Beliaghata ID Hospital to handle such patients. The airport authorities will also have to share the details of a flyer if he/she is found to have suffered from fever, headache, and rashes in the body. Contract tracing would be done if any case is reported. Health department issued instructions saying that in case a suspected patient is detected; his/her skin lesions, vesicular fluid and pustules, and dry crust may be sent immediately to the Institute of Virology in Pune. No such cases have been reported so far in the country.
A senior health official however assured that there is hardly any possibility for monkeypox virus to get transmitted on a large scale like that of Covid. As it is a DNA virus, the possibility of getting infected is much lesser unless one mixes with the patient closely.
The state health department has already alerted all the Chief Medical Officers of health in the districts. The airport authorities have been asked to maintain surveillance on foreign flyers.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation and other civic bodies have been directed to work in coordination with the health department.
According to the Centre's advisory, monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa and occasionally exported to other regions. Fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes are the symptoms of the disease.
Symptoms last from 2-4 weeks. Severe cases can occur and fatality rate may vary from 1-10 percent. Monkeypox can be transmitted from Animal to Humans as well as human to human.