Bengaluru: Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru has heightened its safety protocols by making testing for Mpox (Monkeypox) compulsory for all international passengers amid concerns over the first conformed case of the disease in India. The move comes after a case was detected in Delhi earlier this week.
In a bid to monitor and prevent further spread of the disease, the KIA has set up four testing kiosks for screening all incoming international flyers, according to media reports. The airport is screening around 2,000 passengers daily, the DNA reported.
There is a designated officer to ensure that the screening, testing, and tracking procedures run smoothly. “We are fully prepared to comply with all the guidelines issued by health authorities concerning the global Mpox situation,” said a Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) spokesperson, as quoted by DNA.
The authorities have also set up an isolation zone for managing the suspected cases. Attention is being directed toward flyers arriving from regions where the disease is most prevalent, like the African nations.
21-day quarantine for positive cases
Persons who will test positive for the virus will be immediately isolated and subjected to a mandatory 21-day quarantine. Travellers will be re-tested after treatment. They will be released from the quarantine only after being declared free of the virus. “Our medical teams are well-prepared, following health authorities’ instructions, to handle any situation that might arise. The safety of passengers and staff is our top priority,” the spokesperson stated further.
What are the symptoms?
Mpox symptoms include fever, skin rashes, muscle pain, and severe headaches. There is no specific treatment for the virus at present. But experts have claimed that early detection and isolation are essential for containing the virus.