Govt urges people to take special precautions to prevent spread of monkeypox infection

Published On: May 23, 2022 04:30 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, May 23: The government has urged the general public to take special precautions regarding the potential risk of spreading of monkeypox.

Stating that there is a potential danger in Nepal as monkeypox infection is spreading in the world at present, the government has urged the public to stay cautious against the disease and adopt necessary health precautions.

Dr Sameer Kumar Adhikari, joint spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, said that one should pay attention to one’s personal hygiene and stay in quarantine to avoid the infection of monkeypox. According to him, Nepali nationals and foreign nationals coming from abroad should stay in a mandatory quarantine for at least two weeks. These people should not touch anything outside and if touched, it should be cleaned immediately with soap and water.

Similarly, Adhikari mentioned that the government has already taken necessary steps to prevent the spread of monkeypox and has stepped up surveillance at border points. He also said that necessary decisions would be taken on the basis of technical suggestions received in regular contact with the central, regional and offices of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Nepal.

What is Monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a disease that is caused by infection with monkeypox virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae. The virus typically presents clinically with fever, blisters, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications. The incubation period (time from infection to symptoms) for monkeypox is usually 7 to14 days but can range from 5 to 21 days.

According to Spokesperson Adhikari, the infection is mostly prevalent among children. He urged the people to take care of the health of their children. He said the death rate from monkeypox is 10 percent. Similarly, he mentioned that the symptoms seen in the body due to monkeypox can disappear on their own after about three months, so there is no need to be scared.

Monkeypox can be transmitted from person to person and its impact can be seen for three to four weeks, according to Adhikari. He also said that the monkeypox vaccine has already been produced and is being used at present.