Mpox alert: Govt tells airports to stay vigilant, assigns 3 nodal hospitals

Current assessment shows the risk of a large outbreak of the disease, with sustained transmission remains low in India, which has no detected cases of mpox so far

Authorities at India's international airports and ports have been instructed to monitor passengers from Bangladesh and Pakistan for mpox symptoms.

So far, India has not reported any cases of the virus, and the current assessment indicates a low risk of a major outbreak with sustained transmission.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported the first detection of mpox in four East African countries — Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda — all linked to the Congo epidemic.

The new variant of mpox has been observed to cause milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals, compared to previous outbreaks where lesions were mainly on the chest, hands, and feet. This makes detection of the virus more difficult, as people may spread the virus without realising they are infected.

Mpox: Top updates

1) The Union Health Ministry has identified three government hospitals in Delhi as key centres for isolating, managing, and treating Mpox patients. These hospitals include Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, and Lady Hardinge Hospital in the national capital.

2) Additionally, each state government is instructed to identify designated hospitals within their jurisdiction to ensure preparedness.

3) Officials have been instructed to enhance surveillance and effective measures to ensure swift action if mpox is identified in the country.

4)  On August 18, PK Mishra, principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, led a high-level meeting to assess India's readiness for dealing with mpox, with increased surveillance efforts for early detection.

5) The WHO recently classified mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) due to its widespread occurrence across several regions in Africa. According to a WHO update, nearly 99,176 cases and 208 fatalities related to mpox have been recorded across 116 countries since 2022.

6) The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has faced a severe impact this year, accounting for 97 per cent of the reported mpox cases. Particularly alarming is the fact that children have been the hardest hit, making up more than 70 per cent of the cases and 85 per cent of the fatalities. On August 19, the country's health minister announced that Congo is set to receive its first vaccine doses from the US next week. DRC will need 3 million vaccine doses to combat its outbreak.

7) Last week, Sweden detected a new variant of the mpox virus. While officials said the risk to the general public is low, they expect sporadic imported cases to continue.

(With agency inputs)