Mpox Alert: Health Ministry instructs airports and officials to increase vigilance

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency. The Union Health Ministry has instructed airports to remain vigilant and has directed officials to increase surveillance. While cases have been reported in Sweden and Pakistan, there have been no reported cases of Mpox in the country.

As a precaution, the Centre has asked officials at land ports on the borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well as at all airports, to stay alert, according to PTI.

Officials have been instructed to watch for international passengers showing symptoms of Mpox.

This directive follows a high-level meeting chaired by P K Mishra, the principal secretary to the prime minister, the day before.

To manage Mpox patients, including their isolation and treatment, the government has designated Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, and Lady Hardinge Hospital as key centers. In addition, the center has instructed all state governments to identify similar hospitals within their respective areas.

Currently, 32 laboratories across the country are set up for testing Mpox. The Health Ministry has emphasized the need for these labs to be prepared for early detection of the disease.

On Thursday, Sweden's Public Health Agency reported its first case of the Clade 1b subclade, marking the first diagnosis of this type outside Africa.

Pakistan recently reported three Mpox cases in a 34-year-old man who had returned from a Gulf country. The Health Ministry noted that this virus has been classified as Clade 2b.