Indian airports, borders on alert as global Mpox cases rise

New Delhi, Aug 19: The Centre has informed the authorities in airports, ports, and borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan to remain alert about incoming international passengers who show monkeypox (mpox) symptoms, sources said.

Mpox has been spreading around the world.

NDTV reported that three state-run hospitals have been selected as the key facilities in Delhi to quarantine, manage and treat mpox patients.

They are Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, and Lady Hardinge Hospital.

The Centre has asked all states to keep hospitals ready to handle mpox cases. These hospitals should be designated as nodal centres and the information given to the public, sources said.

PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chaired a meeting on Sunday to review the country's preparedness for mpox amid enhanced surveillance for prompt detection.

Officials said no mpox case has been reported from the country at present. According to assessment, the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low, they said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern in view of its prevalence and spread across many parts of Africa.

"The virus strain this time is different and is more virulent and infectious. But the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low in the country as per the current assessment," news agency PTI reported quoting an officer.

The Health Ministry has ordered officials to ensure the network of testing laboratories is ready for early diagnosis of the disease. At present, 32 laboratories in the country are equipped for testing mpox.

An earlier statement from WHO said 99,176 cases and 208 deaths have been reported due to mpox from 116 countries since 2022.

Mpox cases have been steadily increasing in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Last year, the number of reported cases around the world increased significantly. This year, the number of cases reported so far has already exceeded last year's total, with more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths.

Since 2022, at least 30 mpox cases have been reported from India. The last case of mpox was detected in March this year.