SYLLABUS SECTION: GS III (HEALTH ISSUES)
WHY IN NEWS?
The World Health Organization (WHO) has triggered the highest alert against the monkeypox, a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY OF INTERNATIONAL CONCERN (PHEIC)Â
- PHEIC is the highest level of alert the global health body can issue.
- Only polio and SARS-CoV-2 were ongoing PHEIC prior to monkeypox.
- Five factors that influenced the decision:
- Information provided by the countries.
- The three fulfilled criteria for declaring a PHEIC UNDER THE International Health Organization.
- Advice of the Emergency Committee.
- Scientific principles and evidence which remains unclear.
- The risk to human health.
- So far this year, there have been 15000 cases of monkey pox in more than 60 countries
About Monkey pox
- Monkey pox is cause by monkey pox virus, a member of the Orthopox virus genus in the family Pox viridae.
- It is a viral disease that spreads via close contact and tends to cause flu-like symptoms and pus-fill skin lesion.
- Monkey pox is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of central and west Africa and is occasionally export to other regions.
- The current outbreak is unlike any previous one outside of Africa in that there is sustained person-to-person transmission of the infection.
- It has been spreading chiefly in men who have sex with men in the recent outbreak outside Africa, where it is endemic.
- The first human case of monkey pox was recorded in 1970.
- Monkey pox is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting from 2 to 4 weeks. Severe cases can occur. In recent times, the case fatality ratio has been around 3–6%.
Read more:Â UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS
SOURCE: DTE