Following the World Health Organisation’s declaration of Mpox as a “public health emergency of international concern,” Tamil Nadu’s Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has directed strict screening protocols at seaports and airports. Health officials are instructed to conduct thermal screenings and review travel histories of passengers from affected countries within the last 21 days. Mpox, which presents symptoms such as skin rashes, fever, and swollen lymph nodes, can be transmitted through physical contact with infected individuals, contaminated materials, and animals.
While no cases have been reported in Tamil Nadu, the state is taking precautionary measures due to the global rise in infections, particularly from the newly identified clade I strain, which is sexually transmissible. Health personnel, including those at immigration and airlines, are being trained to identify symptoms and ensure that suspected cases are managed according to standard guidelines. The state health department has also alerted officials to monitor travelers from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African countries.
District health officers are required to report suspected cases and ensure that both government and private medical practitioners are informed about Mpox. Suspected cases are to be referred to tertiary care centers for further management, and samples should be tested at the state public health laboratory using PCR to confirm the infection.
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