Gurugram Health Department Issues Mpox Alert, Health Officials Urge Caution; No Cases Reported Yet

The Gurugram health department on Friday issued an alert regarding a potential outbreak of Mpox in the district. The health department’s advisory urges residents, especially those who have recently returned from international travel, to exercise caution, according to a report by the Hindustan Times.

The report pointed out that no Mpox cases have been reported in the district, but since cases have occurred in Africa and other parts of the world and because Gurugram is a hub for international travellers, the Directorate of Health has instructed the chief medical officer (CMO) to stay extra alert.

“Any patient presenting with Mpox-like symptoms must be reported to our office immediately. A nodal officer has been appointed to oversee the situation, and public awareness efforts regarding the disease are underway. If any person exhibits symptoms such as fever, rashes, or swollen lymph nodes, they should be isolated from the general population,” the Gurugram chief medical officer Dr Virender Yadav was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Neighbouring Delhi’s health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Friday that the city government was maintaining strict vigil on the mpox situation and closely monitoring developments.

During a press conference, he said that they were carefully observing the actions taken by both the central and other state governments.

Mpox or monkeypox is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, similar to smallpox but generally is less severe.

It spreads through close contact with an infected person, animal or contaminated materials.

Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches and a rash that develops into pustules.

The disease usually goes away on its own but can be serious, especially for people with weak immune systems.

Mpox’s incubation period usually lasts from 7 to 14 days but can range from 5 to 21 days, the report said citing health officials. It further added that during this period, the person infected is usually not contagious.

The disease can spread one to two days before the rash appears and remains contagious until all scabs have fallen off.