Monkeypox: Karnataka Health Min assures 'all precautions taken' to monitor outbreak

Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Tuesday said that the Karnataka health authorities are taking all precautionary measures to make sure that the state does not face monkeypox outbreak. He further informed that appropriate measures have also been taken to curb the spread of the virus. The authorities have also issued guidelines regarding international travellers at airports and ports.

Informing about the measures taken by the state government, the Health Minister informed that two hospitals have been designated for the treatment of monkeypox in Karnataka.

Soon after Kerala reported the cases of the globally spreading monkeypox, the Karnataka government on Monday issued guidelines to all the district administrations, including Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), to enhance the preparedness for monkeypox cases.

Tweeting the list of guidelines, Sudhakar wrote, "As a precautionary measure to check the spread of monkeypox infection, a circular has been issued to BBMP and all District administrations regarding enhanced surveillance, designated institutional isolation facilities, mandatory contact tracing and testing of samples."

According to the guidelines issued, at least 21 days of isolation will be mandatory for the confirmed cases. Other than this, the health authorities have been instructed to ensure that screening teams are deployed at airports, bus stands and railway stations in their respective jurisdictions to curb the spread of the virus. 

The authorities have also been asked to report cases and set up designated institutional isolation facilities at district levels (for both confirmed and suspected cases). The authorities are also working on contact tracing of suspects to break the chain of infection. 

Suspected case of monkeypox in Karnataka

Bengaluru reported its first suspected case of monkeypox on Sunday. An Ethiopian citizen, was suspected to be the first case of monkeypox in Karnataka. The man showed some symptoms of the virus on arrival at the Bengaluru airport. However, when he was subjected to the Monkeypox test, it turned out that it was a confirmed case of chickenpox instead.

Meanwhile, India on Saturday reported its first death of a patient who had tested positive for the disease. The Kerala youth died in a private hospital in Thrissur days after he returned from the UAE.