Mpox Emergency: Bengaluru Airport Initiates Mpox Test, 21-Day Quarantine

Mpox testing kiosks have been placed at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru for international travellers, including the ones arriving from African nations.

Inbound foreign traveller's will be screened for this viral illness, which the World Health Organistion (WHO) declared as a public health emergency. The air passengers that test positive will be placed under a 21-day quarantine. These implications are quite relatable for air commuters during that frequently travelled during the Covid -19 induced pandemic.

Is the Bengaluru airport well-positioned to follow these health protocols?

"KIA is fully prepared and compliant with all health and safety protocols issued by relevant authorities in light of the global Mpox situation.

All international passengers arriving at the airport are being thoroughly checked for elevated temperatures as part of the screening process," a spokesperson for the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) citing media reports.

What's status of Mpox cases in India?

A single case of monkeypox has been identified in India. The 26-year-old man from Haryana was admitted to LNJP hospital after showing relatable symptoms. His health condition is currently stable, according to media reports. The identified case in India is not the notorious Clade 1b strain of monkeypox virus that is said to be the virulent form of the virus. The clade 1b variant has been identified in countries where monkeypox was not seen earlier.

However, another suspected case of monkeypox was identified at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport on Saturday. According to media reports, a traveller, who arrived on a PIA flight from Jeddah, had symptoms that resembled Mpox .

Why is Mpox a cause of concern among air passengers?

Formerly known as monkeypox, the viral disease can spread between people, mainly through close contact, and occasionally from the environment to people via objects and surfaces that have been touched by a person with mpox.

The common signs symptoms of monkeypox include fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes. The disease usually resolves on its own within a few weeks, but severe cases can also take place.