Pune and Other Major Airports to Screen Domestic Flyers Amid Mpox Concerns

Pune, 11th September 2024: Maharashtra State Health Department has expanded its alert to include screening of domestic passengers at major airports for symptoms resembling mpox, following India’s first confirmed case. 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.

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.

State Surveillance Officer Dr. R.B. Sule said, “In Mumbai, Kasturba Hospital and Seven Hills Hospital have set aside 50 beds each to isolate suspected cases. Pune’s Naidu Hospital, Nagpur’s AIIMS, and the Government Medical College are also on high alert.”

The central government confirmed that the case is linked to international travel and lab tests identified the West African clade 2 strain of the mpox virus. This strain is not part of the clade 1 strain, which is currently causing a public health emergency as per the World Health Organization (WHO).

At this time, the government has reassured the public that there is no indication of widespread risk. The WHO has noted that mpox primarily spreads through close contact with infected individuals, including within households.