Monkeypox virus: Centre puts airports, ports on alert over rising cases of infection

Amid rising cases of monkeypox in several countries, India has beefed up surveillance and asked its port and airport officers to be vigilant and isolate sick persons travelling from affected countries with symptoms or history of the disease.

The union health ministry has also asked officials to undertake strict thermal screening for suspected international passengers with any history of travel to monkeypox affected countries in last 21 days.

The health ministry has directed National Centre for Disease Control and Indian Council of Medical Research to keep a close watch on the situation and strengthen community surveillance for early detection of any positive case, according to TOI report.

"They have been instructed that any sick passenger with a travel history to Monkeypox-affected countries be isolated and samples sent to the BSL4 facility of the National Institute of Virology in Pune for an investigation," an official source told PTI.

He added, "The Union Health Minister on Thursday directed the National Centre for Disease Control and the ICMR to keep a close watch and monitor the situation in India." Cases of Monkeypox have been reported from the UK, the USA, Portugal, Spain, and some other European countries.

In humans, the symptoms of Monkeypox are similar to but milder than those of smallpox.

According to the WHO, Monkeypox typically manifests in humans with fever, rashes and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications.

Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting from two to four weeks.

It can also take a severe from, with the WHO saying the case fatality ratio has been around 3-6 per cent in recent times.

Monkeypox virus is transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.

Transmission of the disease can also occur via the placenta from mother to fetus (which can lead to congenital Monkeypox) or close contact during and after birth, the world health body says.

(with agency inputs)