Pune: PMC Sets Up Isolation Ward, Screens Begin at Airport After India's First Mpox Case

As India confirmed the first case of Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) transmission in Pune, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has established a 10-bed isolation ward at Naidu Infectious Diseases Hospital. "Apart from reserving a 10-bed isolation ward at Naidu Infectious Diseases Hospital, a total of 3,836 people on 38 flights have been screened at the Pune International Airport to date,” said Dr. Vaishali Jadhav, PMC’s assistant health officer.

Following the first case, the Maharashtra State Health Department has expanded its alert to include the screening of domestic passengers at major airports for symptoms resembling Mpox.

Earlier advisories only required screening for international travelers from affected areas, but now domestic passengers are also under scrutiny. This decision comes just a day after the country reported its first Mpox case in a man who had recently returned from a region experiencing an outbreak. Although the patient is stable, the central health ministry has urged the public not to panic.

What is Mpox?

Officials stated that the alert has been communicated to all airports, with particular emphasis on key hubs such as Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur. Additionally, hospitals in these cities have been directed to prepare isolation wards and monitor patients visiting outpatient departments (OPDs) with symptoms like skin rashes, fever, headaches, and muscle pain.

Mpox is a viral disease caused by the Mpox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. Two different clades exist: clade 1 and clade 2. The common symptoms of Mpox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions that can last two to four weeks, accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.

Following directions from the state government, health officials in Pune have started surveillance and testing of suspected patients for Mpox. The Pune International Airport (PIA) has started monitoring international travelers for Mpox symptoms as per the directions of the Government of India (GoI), officials said.