advisory on mpox: The Centre on Monday issued an advisory to all states and Union Territories in the wake of the global mpox outbreak , giving directions to avoid the spread of the virus in India. The central government asked all states and Union Territories to screen and test all suspected mpox cases in the community and identify isolation units in hospitals for suspected and confirmed patients.

Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra in a letter to all states and Union Territory administrations asked them to take all necessary precautions and avoid any unnecessary panic among people. "No new case of ampox has been reported in India in the current outbreak and none of the samples from suspected cases have tested positive," he said and stressed the need to remain vigilant. The Health Secretary further said that the Centre is closely monitoring the evolving situation.

He asked the States and Union Territories to review public health preparedness, especially at the health facility level, identify isolation facilities in hospitals and ensure availability of necessary logistics and trained human resources in such facilities.

One person has been identified as a suspected case of the disease

In the letter, Chandra also tasked all state and Union Territory administrations to spread awareness among people about ampox, how it spreads and the need to take preventive measures and report cases timely. On Sunday, the Health Ministry said a person with recent travel history from a country with ampox transmission has been identified as a suspected case of the disease and his samples have been collected for testing. It said the person has been isolated in a designated hospital and there is no cause for concern.

Chandra also said in the letter that the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the current outbreak of ampox a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on August 14.

Suspected monkeypox case being investigated, nothing to worry about: Government

The Union Health Ministry on Sunday said a person who recently travelled from a country with a monkeypox outbreak has been identified as a suspected case of the disease. The patient has been isolated in a designated hospital and is currently stable, and hence there is no cause for concern, the ministry said. Samples have been collected from the person and are being tested to confirm the presence of monkeypox, it said.

"The case is being managed as per established protocols, and contact tracing is ongoing to identify potential sources and assess the impact within the country," the ministry said. It said this is in line with the earlier risk assessment done by the National Centre for Disease Control and there is no cause for any unnecessary concern.

The ministry said the country is fully prepared to deal with such incidents and adequate measures have been taken to manage and mitigate any potential risks.