VIJAYAWADA: Health officials in AP have heaved a sigh of relief after the child suspected of suffering from monkeypox in Vijayawada proved negative for the disease post extensive checks carried out at a national virology lab.
Seeing the rashes on her body, doctors had initially believed the child had monkeypox. She and her family had recently come to Vijayawada from Dubai.
Officials collected samples of the child and sent them to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, by flight. Test results have come out negative. Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) department commissioner J. Nivas said on Sunday that people need not panic, as the test has made it clear that there is no monkeypox case anywhere in AP.
Many people are worried about hearing the news of monkeypox spreading in various parts of the world, including India. Doctors say it is a viral disease belonging to smallpox family transmitted from animals to humans. The virus is widespread in central and west Africa. Research shows the disease spreads to humans from rats, mice and squirrels. It spreads among humans through droplets or close contact with infected persons.
The main symptoms of monkeypox are fever, headache, swelling, back pain, muscle pain and fatigue. Similar to smallpox, rashes and blisters appear on the face, arms, and legs. These disappear in 14–21 days. Most people who contract the disease recover within a week.
World Health Organisation (WHO) says the disease may turn fatal only in one among 10 cases.
