Monkeypox testing at all Tamil Nadu airports after Kerala reports first case

Tamil Nadu Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian and State Health Secretary P Senthil Kumar inspect the Monkeypox screening at the Chennai International Airport on Saturday. PIC/ANI

Tamil Nadu has formed special medical teams based on the directive of National Centre for Disease Control to test passengers for monkeypox disease, State Minister Ma Subramanian said on Saturday. The Minister for Medical and Family Welfare inspected the measures taken at the Chennai airport here to check passengers arriving from various locations after the first monkeypox case was reported in Kerala recently.

Subramanian said the government has screened 4.84 lakh people who arrived from various destinations from May 22 till date to Tamil Nadu. At the Chennai international airport alone, 3.67 lakh people were screened since May, he said. "In addition, all district Health department officials have been advised to set up special wards for monkey pox disease and instructions have been given to them to nominate special doctors in those wards to treat patients," he told reporters.

The medical teams have been asked to isolate patients who show symptoms of monkeypox disease and ensure that all preventive measures to contain the spread of virus are put in place, he said. "Samples of such patients (who show symptoms) should be collected and sent to state public health laboratory, National Centre for Disease Control and also to National Institute of Virology, Pune", he said.

Also Read: Kerala govt intensifies battle against monkeypox, holds talks with Central team

Since May, nearly 9,647 people have been detected for monkeypox disease in 63 countries. Monkeypox is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.

Central team arrives in Kerala

A high-level team despatched by the Centre to Kerala following the diagnosis of monkeypox infection in the state arrived in the capital Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. The multidisciplinary team, which will take stock of the situation on the ground and recommend necessary interventions arrived at the Directorate of Health Services on Saturday.

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