Monkeypox Advisory In Mumbai: Congress Urges Strict Monkeypox Measures At Airport

Amid growing concerns over Monkeypox, Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan has appealed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to enforce stringent testing and quarantine measures at Mumbai Airport for passengers arriving from high-risk countries.

Chavan emphasized the urgency of the situation, highlighting that the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Monkeypox a public health emergency, and the virus has now reached neighbouring Pakistan.

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Mumbai On High Alert For Monkeypox

On Saturday, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister urged the state government to take proactive steps to prevent the virus from spreading in India.

"It has reached our neighbourhood. We have to act. I have written to the CM to implement a strict testing and quarantine protocol at the Mumbai airport for all incoming passengers from high-risk countries," Chavan stated on X, formerly known as Twitter.

He stressed that timely action is crucial, warning that any delay could have severe consequences. Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry has reassured the public that no Monkeypox cases have been reported in India so far. However, precautionary measures will be put in place to prevent and control the spread of the disease.

The Ministry acknowledged the possibility of a few imported cases being detected in the coming weeks but assessed the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission in India as low, as reported by Hindustan Times.

During a meeting chaired by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, it was noted that Monkeypox infections are typically self-limiting, lasting between 2-4 weeks, with patients generally recovering through supportive management.

Transmission of the virus requires prolonged close contact with an infected person and is primarily spread through sexual contact, direct contact with body or lesion fluids, or contact with contaminated clothing or linens. The WHO had previously declared Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in July 2022, but this status was revoked in May 2023, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Globally, since 2022, the WHO has reported 99,176 cases and 208 deaths due to Monkeypox across 116 countries. In India, a total of 30 cases have been detected since the 2022 declaration, with the last case reported in March 2024, as per media reports.

Chavan's call to action underscores the importance of vigilance and prompt response in preventing the spread of Monkeypox in India, especially with the virus now detected in neighbouring regions.