Mpox alert: Travellers to be screened at entry points in UP

Till now there have been no cases of Mpox in the state, according to Dr Ratan Suman, director, Uttar Pradesh health department for infectious diseases.

LUCKNOW: People coming from other states will be screened in districts that share borders with other states or countries, the Uttar Pradesh health department has decided in its guideline issued on Mpox, an infectious viral disease with symptoms including rashes, fever and swollen lymph nodes.

Mpox spreads from person to person mainly through close contact with someone who has the disease. (Pic for representation)

Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak said, “Travellers will be screened at all points of entry. A helpline number has also been activated (18001805145), which will work at state level. The WHO has declared monkeypox as public health emergency of international concern,” said Pathak.

“The guideline and screening are precautions and there is no reason to panic,” said Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, principal secretary, medical health.

Mpox spreads from person to person mainly through close contact with someone who has the disease . Close contact includes skin-to-skin (such as touching or sex) and mouth-to-mouth, or mouth-to-skin contact (such as kissing), and can also include being face-to-face contact with someone who has mpox (such as talking or breathing close to one another, which can generate infectious respiratory particles). During the global outbreak that began in 2022, the virus mostly spread through sexual contact.

Dr Ratan Suman, director, Uttar Pradesh health department for infectious diseases said, “Till now there have been no cases of Mpox in the state.”

He said, “Any person with travel history of South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria needs to be particularly screened. If a person has rashes and fever he/she requires isolation, at home if the condition allows, and the remaining work of screening and testing will be done by health department once their details are shared by the family. People should come forward and report any such person. There is nothing to panic about.”

In districts with point of entry a temporary transit isolation facility will also come up. Phone numbers of coordinators for screening, sampling, isolation facility and testing of samples have been shared with hospitals.