Monkeypox Outbreak: High Alert at Bengaluru Airport, Will Implement 21-Day Quarantine for Monkeypox Cases - Video

Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru is on high alert following the detection of India's first monkeypox case in New Delhi. Screening tests for international passengers are now in progress. The infected individual, a 26-year-old man from Haryana, contracted the virus, which is known to spread between people.

In an announcement, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) said, “Keeping the global Mpox situation in mind, Bengaluru airport is fully prepared with all safety protocols. We are conducting screening and temperature checks of international passengers, and if anyone is found with the symptoms, we send them for a 21-day quarantine.”

Passengers arriving from African countries are being closely monitored throughout their time at the airport due to several reported cases of Mpox.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka health department also said that the state government has implemented comprehensive measures to manage any potential outbreak. Speaking to news agency ANI earlier, Karnataka Medical Education minister Sharan Prakash Patil said, “There's no need for alarm; we have implemented the necessary measures. The Union Health Department has already issued guidelines, and the Centre has provided advisories regarding Mpox. We have organised testing and screening facilities at Victoria Hospital and set up isolation beds. Tests will be conducted free of charge.”

The Union Health Ministry announced that the man who tested positive for the Mpox virus has been isolated, and efforts are ongoing to trace contacts and determine the potential source of the infection.