AIIMS Nagpur identified as Regional Testing Lab for Monkeypox

Nagpur: World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 14th August 2024 due to the emergence of a new strain of the virus: Clade Ib. 

The new strain has become a matter of concern because only in this year, among 15,600 reported cases, there have been a staggering 537 documented deaths. It has also spread to several African countries who have previously not reported the disease. In India, till date a total of 30 cases of Monkeypox have been detected with a death occurring in Kerala in March 2024.

Monkeypox is to be suspected in a person if he/she develops fever, headache, muscle pain, back pain, weakness and/or fatigue along with developing skin rash that starts with the tongue and mouth before spreading to other parts of the body, especially in persons who have travelled to endemic countries for Mpox or have come in contact with a suspected or confirmed case of Mpox. It is also accompanied with swollen lymph nodes. High risk groups have been identified as those who are immunocompromised, children, elderly, pregnant females and people with multiple sexual partners.

Also Read:Monkeypox Scare: Delhi AIIMS issues treatment guidelines, 3 Delhi Govt Hospitals to set up isolation rooms

Prof Dr Prashant Joshi, Executive Director, AIIMS, Nagpur explained that the characteristic rash associated with Mpox can also be confused with other diseases that are more commonly encountered in clinical practice like chicken pox, syphilis, Varicella zoster, measles, scabies, and hand, foot and mouth disease. Therefore, he has emphasized that if the above-mentioned symptoms are seen along with travel history to endemic areas or coming into contact with a suspected or confirmed case of Mpox, it is advised to take medical help.  

He also informed that Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Department of Health Research (DHR) have identified AIIMS, Nagpur as the Regional Testing Centre for Mpox, which is among the 35 Laboratories designated for testing suspected cases of Mpox all over the country.  

Dr Meena Mishra, principal investigator, Viral Research Diagnosis Laboratory (VRDL) and Professor and Head, Department of Microbiology, AIIMS Nagpur has informed that the laboratory is equipped with the necessary kits and reagents for Mpox testing, provided by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Virology(NIV), Pune and is currently accepting samples suspected of Mpox.

Prof Dr Prashant Joshi informed that there is no need to panic but nonetheless, precautions need to be taken to prevent the disease from spreading, to identify the vulnerable groups and to determine the spreading strain type in the population.

Dr Meena Mishra informed that Viral Research Diagnosis Laboratory (VRDL), Department of Microbiology, AIIMS, Nagpur is a fully equipped state-of-the-art laboratory and since its inception, has been instrumental in testing more than 5 lakh COVID-19 samples along with other viral diseases like Influenza, Hepatitis-B, Hepatitis-C, Human Papilloma Virus, Dengue, Chikungunya, etc. VRDL, AIIMS, Nagpur will accept and test suspected cases of Mpox in entire Vidarbha and adjoining areas.