Given the increasing number of monkeypox cases reported from several countries around the globe, the health ministry has ramped up surveillance at the entry points and border areas. The health officials said although no cases have been reported in the neighbouring countries so far, the ministry is keeping a strict vigilance over the situation.
As part of the precautionary measures, the health ministry has started screening for the symptoms of monkeypox at the Paro international airport and the border areas.
The symptoms include rash with blisters on the face, hands, feet, body, eyes, mouth or genitals, fever, swollen lymph nodes, headache, muscle ache, and backache.
“We have developed the guidelines for the management of the monkeypox. We have activated the surveillance system which means if the health workers detect the monkeypox, they will be entering the system online and we will get an SMS alert and we can alert the contact tracing,” said Rixin Jamtsho, Officiating Director of the Department of Public Health under the health ministry.
He added that restrictions and measures like COVID-19 are not required as the monkeypox virus spreads through contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores, and shared items that have been contaminated with the virus.
And since monkeypox can be identified easily, contract tracing will be easier with no requirement of facility isolation or quarantine. However, the ministry advises people to maintain good personal hygiene to keep the virus at bay.
“Monkeypox is similar to chickenpox and is not very severe. However, it will depend on the risk group. A weak person with immunodeficiency kind of conditions, or those with cancers, diabetes, and other diseases, could get compilations,” added the Officiating Director.
The Health Minister said a few countries at the recent World Health Assembly assured of their support and assistance in case Bhutan experiences a monkeypox outbreak.
Meanwhile, with an increasing number of monkeypox cases in non-endemic countries, the World Health Organization has set research priorities for monkeypox.
The WHO has recorded nearly 800 confirmed cases of monkeypox from 27 countries that are not endemic to the monkeypox virus.
For now, the WHO has categorized the risk at the global level as moderate.
Kinley Dem
Edited by Sonam Pem
