Mpox virus: Chennai airport, port officials put on alert

In the wake of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring mpox — a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus — as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), Tamil Nadu’s Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine has directed Airport Health Officers and Port Health Officers to be on high alert, particularly with respect to passengers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African countries.

In the wake of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring mpox — a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus — as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), Tamil Nadu’s Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine has directed Airport Health Officers and Port Health Officers to be on high alert, particularly with respect to passengers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African countries.

In a circular issued to all District Health Officers (DHO), Airport Health Officers in Chennai, Tiruchi, Madurai, and Coimbatore, and Port Health Officers in Chennai and Tuticorin, the Director of Public Health T.S. Selvavinayagam asked them to get familiarised with the clinical presentation of mpox, undertake strict thermal screening, and check the history of travel to affected countries in the last 21 days.

WHO declared mpox as a PHEIC for the second time in two years following an outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighbouring countries in Africa. The current upsurge of mpox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain clade Ib of the monkeypox virus, is an emergency not only for Africa but for the world, it said.

So far, no cases have been reported in Tamil Nadu. However, in view of the increasing reports of cases in non-endemic countries, it is essential to be prepared to face any emergency situation, the DPH said, issuing guidelines as a preventive measure.

The common symptoms of mpox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions that can last two to four weeks, accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. It can be transmitted to humans through physical contact with someone who is infectious, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals. Laboratory confirmation of mpox is done by testing skin lesion material by PCR.

A person of any age having a history of travel to the affected countries within the last 21 days with an unexplained acute rash and one or more of the following signs or symptoms — swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, body ache, and profound weakness — may be suspected of carrying mpox.

The DPH instructed all DHOs to be vigil and report any person with suspected symptoms in their jurisdiction. They should sensitise government and private medical practitioners about mpox, and persons with suspected symptoms should be referred to tertiary care centres for management, the DPH added. Samples for diagnosis will be sent to the State Public Health Laboratory, Chennai.