Bengaluru Airport sets up Mpox testing stations; 21-day quarantine for positive patients
Bengaluru Airport sets up Mpox testing stations; 21-day quarantine for positive patients
Bengaluru airport has established four Mpox screening stations where officials are monitoring all international travelers for high temperatures and other symptoms. If anyone tests positive, they will need to undergo a mandatory 21-day quarantine, similar to the measures taken during the Covid-19 pandemic. A representative from the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) mentioned that the airport is prepared with safety protocols in place.
The spokesperson stated, “All international passengers arriving at the airport are being thoroughly checked for elevated temperatures as part of the screening process.” Currently, India has reported one case of Mpox, but it is not the variant that the WHO has raised concerns about. The case detected in India is not the Clade 1b strain, which is recognized as the more aggressive version of the virus.
The safety protocols established for Mpox include enhanced monitoring for passengers arriving from regions with high Mpox rates, particularly from African countries.
Individuals who test positive for Mpox must undergo a mandatory 21-day quarantine, following procedures similar to those used during the COVID-19 pandemic. They will only be released after a follow-up test confirms that they are no longer infected.
Additionally, an isolation zone has been created to manage potential cases, ensuring that prompt intervention can be carried out if necessary.
On August 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a public health emergency. Recently, a suspected case was reported at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, where a traveler from Jeddah showed symptoms of the disease. Mpox is a viral infection that can spread from infected animals to humans or through person-to-person contact with bodily fluids and respiratory droplets. Symptoms include fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes, and while it usually resolves on its own in a few weeks, severe cases can occur.
