India sounds alarm amid global mpox surge: Airports, borders, hospitals on alert - Top 5 updates

A PTI report quoting a health ministry official said that the current strain of mpox virus is different. It is far more infectious and virulent. (AP photo)

India has sounded an alarm over the latest surge in the mpox cases world over. The Union Health Ministry has issued special instructions to all airports and land border officials to keep a vigil on all the arrivals. The ministry’s instructions say that all in-bound passengers that show likely symptoms of mpox disease must be isolated.

As India prepares for the new health emergency, here are top 5 updates on mpox crisis:

1: India has not reported any case of mpox so far. However, neighbouring Pakistan has detected the virus in three residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who returned from the UAE. According to the official guidelines issued by the health ministry, three Delhi hospitals have been designated as the nodal centres.

2: These hospitals - Safdarjung Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Lady Hardinge Hospital- will serve as the quarantine centre for the patients. PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to PM Narendra Modi, held a high-level meeting on Sunday to review the mpox preparedness plans.

3: All airports and land ports have been put on alert. Special surveillance has been ordered on landports on borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. All states have also been asked to ramp up the surveillance in their jurisdiction.

4: Laboratories across India have been asked to prepare for the mpox detection. At present, India has 32 labs that can test the mpox infection. As per the data published by the World Health Organization, India has reported 30 confirmed cases of mpox infection since the 2022. The last case was reported in March this year.

5: The June bulletin released by the WHO said that from January 1st, 2022 to June 30, 2024, the ten countries that reported the highest cumulative number of confirmed cases of mpox were the US, Brazi, Spain, France, Colombia, Mexico, the UK, Peru, Germany, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A PTI report quoting a health ministry official said that the current strain of mpox virus is different. It is far more infectious and virulent. However, the official also added that the risk of a massive outbreak is very low in India.