India steps up alert along airports and land border with Bangladesh, Pakistan

India has enhanced surveillance at its international airports and along its land border with Bangladesh and Pakistan to keep a check on incoming people for possible symptoms of Mpox which has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Principal Secretary P K Mishra chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi to review the status of preparedness for Mpox in the country and related public health measures.

Since the 2022 declaration of Mpox as a public health emergency of international concern by WHO, 30 cases were reported in India where the last case of Mpox was detected in March this year, according to an official statement.

India has reported only one case of Mpox in March this year, said an official statement.

The high-level meeting presided by Mishra was told that as of now, there is no reported case of Mpox in India. As per the present assessment, the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low.

The meeting was informed that Mpox infections are generally self-limiting lasting between 2-4 weeks and patients usually recover with supportive medical care and management.

Mpox transmission takes place through prolonged and close contact with an infected patient. It happens largely through the sexual route, direct contact with body/lesion fluid of the patient, or through the contaminated clothing/linen of an infected person.

India has undertaken sensitization of the health teams at international airports (ports of entry).