No case of monkeypox in Punjab, say officials

Chandigarh, July 22 (IANS) No case of monkeypox has been reported in Punjab’s Mohali district, officials said on Friday.

Refuting a media report that positive cases of monkeypox have been reported in a school, Civil Surgeon Adarshpal Kaur and epidemiologist Harmandeep Kaur, in a joint statement, said three students had some symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease, whose samples were sent to a lab for testing.

According to the report of one sample, one student has hand, foot and mouth disease, while the report of the other two samples will come soon.

They said as of now, not a single case of monkeypox has been reported in the state.

They said hand, foot and mouth disease usually affects children under 10 years of age. The main symptoms include ulcers in the mouth and red rashes on the hands and feet.

They said that there is no need to panic about this disease because it is a self-limiting viral disease which is not related to monkey disease in any way.

–IANS

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