Suspected case of monkeypox reported at Jaipur airport: Precautions taken as patient isolated at RUHS Hospital
Suspected monkeypox case reported at Sanganer Airport, Jaipur after a 20-year-old passenger who came from Dubai and showed alarming symptoms. The patient was brought immediately to the RUHS Hospital where medical professionals took all the precautions required. This has brought a wave of fears towards the re-emergence of monkeypox and so authorities are issuing guidelines on how the situation can be handled efficiently.
Symptoms Recognized During Screening of Passengers at an Airport
He was hailing from Nagaur in Rajasthan. He had come from Dubai to Jaipur. Red rashes and mild fever symptomatous of monkeypox were detected as a routine health check at the airport. Medical personnel at the airport suspected that the person has suffered the viral disease. The passenger was immediately isolated and taken to RUHS Hospital for further evaluation.
According to Director of Public Health for Rajasthan, Dr. Ravi Prakash Mathur, it was the airport health officer who was the first person to identify the rash and thus had taken the person to the hospital. “He was a red rash all over the body and low grade fever, suspicious. Preliminary investigations at the hospital seemed to point towards chickenpox. But in view of public interest, blood samples were taken and sent to Sawai Mansingh Medical College lab for exclusion of the possibility of monkeypox,” he said.
Testing and Isolation Procedures
All precautionary measures were taken by the medical staff, as soon as the patient was hospitalized in RUHS Hospital. The suspected case immediately activated the protocols for special floor isolation and treatment of cases due to monkeypox in the hospital. Despite the primary symptoms appearing more like chickenpox, blood samples of the patient were sent further for testing to confirm whether the case involved monkeypox or not.
RUHS superintendent Dr. Ajit Singh said the institution has taken extra precautions not to spread the disease. “Our hospital is well-prepared for suspected cases of monkeypox. We have set up an isolated ward for patients showing symptoms of the virus. Though this case looks like chickenpox, we are treating it with caution until the test results confirm otherwise,” he added.
According to Dr. Mathur, all the passengers sitting near to the suspected person in the flight are being screened too. “Airport authorities along with health officials are ensuring that everyone in contact with the patient is being screened. Once the tests come positive, the further course of action will be taken according to the advisory by the government of India,” said Dr. Mathur
Monkeypox: Global Concerns and Precautionary Measures
The World Health Organization has already declared it an international public health emergency as it spreads extremely fast in different countries. Albeit, Dubai is not listed as a touched area but the authorities in India are not leaving anything to chance, more so after earlier confirmed cases in India.
The monkeypox virus, which is in the same family as the smallpox virus, is the agent of the disease. Classically, there is fever, swollen lymph nodes, and characteristic rash. Although less virulent than smallpox, the infection still demands constant watch and medical care, especially in its prevention of spreading.
For instance, the public health department has assured the public through Dr. Mathur that the Rajasthan medical department is in a perfect shape to face any kind of outbreak. “We are acting in consultation with the Government of India and the WHO. The guidelines and instructions have already been issued by Rajasthan’s Medical Department to all the health institutions of the state as regards the handling of monkeypox cases,” he asserted.
Rajasthan’s Steps against the Monkeypox Threat
The health authorities in Rajasthan have already been proactive. With the onset of probable monkeypox cases, the Medical Department of Rajasthan issued directive guidelines to the entire medical fraternity in the state, detailing steps that should be taken if a confirmed or suspected case surfaces. Hospitals are instructed to isolate suspected patients immediately, collect necessary samples, and maintain communication with public health officials.
At least for monkeypox, which has recently started affecting people and their environment, facilities have been established within the hospital to deal with cases. For instance at RUHS, a whole floor has been dedicated to the treatment of the suspected or confirmed cases of monkeypox. Such medical staff has been trained in order to keep the patients and the public safe from potential transmission according to WHO standards.
“Given the guidelines in place, we are prepared to deal with any situation. Our team is trained to act swiftly and efficiently if this case turns out to be positive,” Dr. Ajit Singh remarked.
Public Awareness and Caution
Though the test results of the patient are yet to be received, this incident serves as a wake-up call for citizens. Rashes, fever, and fatigue cannot be ignored; thus, efforts must be made by patients to present themselves before doctors if they experience such symptoms.
The WHO, for a long time now, has asked the countries to be vigil and take preventive measures so that this spread of monkeypox can be curbed. Public awareness campaigns, travel advisories, health checkups at entry points such as airports are some of the critical tools used to keep the virus at bay.
Conclusion: Waiting for Results
There is one young passenger suspected to have the monkeypox virus so far stable and under observation at the RUHS Hospital. Though the patient says the initial diagnosis is chickenpox, the medical team would like to wait for the results of tests to declare it as the case of monkeypox. In case it is confirmed by the government health authorities, they are ready to take every measure according to national and international health guidelines.
In the meantime, the airport officials and the health authority take precautions against other passengers of the same flight. “This incident has underlined the merits of early identification, isolation, and public health preparedness in this fight against infectious diseases such as monkeypox.”.
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