The Indian government has issued an advisory on monkeypox following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra directed the advisory to States and Union Territories, emphasizing the clinical profile of the infection. According to the advisory, most cases of monkeypox involve young males, with a median age of 34 years, primarily between 18 and 44 years old.
Globally, WHO data shows that 96.4% of monkeypox cases are male, and the median age of infection remains 34 years. Notably, males aged 18-44 account for 79.4% of reported cases outside the African region. A 2023 study also highlighted that 96.4% of patients were male, with 84.2% identifying as bisexual, gay, or men who have sex with men.
Sexual contact remains the leading mode of transmission globally, followed by non-sexual person-to-person contact. Despite this global concern, India has not reported new cases in the current outbreak. All suspected cases tested at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune have come back negative, although the Ministry of Health continues to monitor the situation.
A new strain of the monkeypox virus has been identified this year, spreading beyond its original presence in the Democratic Republic of Congo to other East African countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Monkeypox symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, body aches, and profound weakness.