Mpox: surveillance stepped up in Coimbatore

The Health Department has stepped up surveillance against Mpox virus in Coimbatore. Deputy Director of Health Services P. Aruna said a medical team has been screening international passengers at the Coimbatore International Airport for the past one month.

“As per guidelines, the screening is done in the airport. We are doing screening for Nipah virus at all checkposts and this will pick up suspected Mpox also as we screen for fever,” she said.

The screening-cum-surveillance was stepped up after a 38-year-old man, who returned from Dubai, tested positive for Mpox in Malappuram district of the neighbouring Kerala. The medical team has been instructed to give special focus on international passengers, who have a history of travel to African countries.

“So far, 9,216 persons were screened and none of them were found to have symptoms. Mpox is suspected if there is an epidemiological link. No such cases have been found so far,” said Dr. Aruna.

On September 9, Joint Director Communicable Diseases Senthil Kumar from the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Chennai, inspected the screening done at Coimbatore airport, which has international flights from Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Singapore.

Screening against Nipah virus continues

The Health Department was also continuing screening passengers coming from Kerala at all the inter-State checkposts in Coimbatore district after a 24-year-old man, who died in a private hospital in Malappuram on September 9, was found to have been infected with Nipah virus.

Health officials said the screening at inter-State checkposts will be continued for a few more days, even though Kerala Health Department informed that 10 persons, who were in the contact list of the victim, tested negative on Wednesday.

Published - September 19, 2024 07:27 pm IST