India has begun surveillance of international arrivals from Africa and other nations where an outbreak of monkey pox has been reported. Monkey pox is a rare viral infection, similar to small pox, and was first detected in monkeys kept at a research facility in 1958. The first human case of monkey pox was reported in 1970 from Congo in Africa.
According to a senior official of the Union Health Ministry, airport health officers, land border health officers and port health officers have been apprised of the viral outbreak that has been in reported in some European nations, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the US and Israel.
Health officers will watch out for passengers with symptoms of monkey pox, isolate them, and send their samples to the National Institute of Virology at Pune. Symptoms in humans include fever, muscle ache, lesions and chills.
“There have been no reported cases of monkey pox in India,” the official added.