Travellers to be screened for mpox in Karnataka: Dinesh Gundu Rao

Bengaluru: The state health department officials will pay special attention to travellers found with mpox symptoms in airports and seaports, as directed by state health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.

Rao held a meeting with department officials on Monday to check mpox and Zika virus preparedness measures in the state.

Since 2022, India has reported 30 cases of mpox infection. Although no new mpox cases have been reported in the country since March this year, this meeting is in light of cases being observed in several countries and the WHO declaring it 'public health emergency of international concern'.

Rao reiterated the Centre's instructions to officials to keep an eye out for people entering the country through airports and seaports.

"We have not received any specific directions from the Centre yet as they believe we do not have a high risk for an outbreak. We will sensitise our officials about the symptoms of mpox, what they must do if a case is reported and take all necessary preventive measures," he said.

He assured that there is no reason for panic and no reason to declare this a medical emergency in the state.

Zika virus

The department is taking the same preventive and control measures for Zika virus as it is doing for dengue, said health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.

In Shivamogga, one case (a man) was recorded in June and two (a man and a woman) in July. In August so far, Jigani has recorded six cases (five women and one man). Officials have created a 3 km containment zone in Jigani.

The first reported case in June was of a 73-year-old man who passed away in Shivamogga due to Myasthenia Gravis (a chronic autoimmune disease leading to weakness in voluntary muscles). "Zika was an incidental finding," Rao said, adding that the virus does not cause severe symptoms or lead to death by itself.

"Wherever there is an outbreak, we screen people, particularly pregnant women and babies. This is because some babies born to mothers infected with the Zika virus might have the risk of microcephaly (smaller than expected heads)," he said. He added that one of the women who tested positive for the virus in Jigani was pregnant but both her baby's and her conditions are normal.