Mpox: Tamil Nadu Health Minister inspects Trichy airport

Trichy: With the threat of Monkeypox virus looming, state governments have begun measures to prevent any spread of the disease. Tamil Nadu Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian on Tuesday inspected the screening of Monkeypox at the Trichy International Airport to ensure that authorities are following the department's instructions on Monkeypox prevention.

He was accompanied by School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and Trichy District Collector Pradeep Kumar along with other health officials.

Earlier the Tamil Nadu health minister had inspected airports in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced its second public health emergency of International concern due to Monkey Pox. The new strain of this virus (Clad-1) is considered to be more transmissible and has higher mortality rates.

India has developed its own home-grown indigenous RT-PCR testing kit to fight against Mpox, which has been approved by Central Protection Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). IMDX Monkeypox Detection RT-PCR Assay by Siemens Healthineers has received manufacturing approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). This is a significant achievement for our "Make in India" initiative and a critical advancement in the fight against the Monkeypox public health emergency.

On August 17, a detailed review of the Monkeypox situation and the preparedness was taken by the Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda in a meeting with the senior officials of the Ministry.

There are no reported cases of Monkeypox in India as of date. In the meeting chaired by the Union Health Minister, it was decided that as a matter of abundant caution, certain measures [such as sensitizing the health units at all the airports, seaports, and ground crossings; readying the testing Laboratories (32 in no.); gearing up health facilities for detecting, isolating and managing any case are put in place.

In the meeting, it was noted that Monkeypox infections are usually self-limiting lasting between 2-4 weeks and patients generally recover with supportive management. The transmission requires prolonged close contact with an infected case and is generally through the sexual route, direct contact with body/lesion fluid, or contaminated clothing/linen of an infected person.