No cases of mpox reported in TN yet: DPH

CHENNAI: No symptomatic cases of suspected mpox have been identified in Tamil Nadu and none of the passengers arriving from foreign countries has shown any symptoms of the disease, officials of the state health department said.

The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine assured that the State is equipped to handle any potential mpox cases.

It has intensified monitoring at airports and government hospitals to detect and contain the spread of mpox after the viral disease was declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization.

Thermal screening is also being done to check the body temperature of passengers travelling on international flights. For individuals found to have fever, doctors and medical staff will provide first aid and refer them to a hospital, if necessary.

Health department teams at the Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchy, and Coimbatore airports are screening and testing passengers arriving with symptoms including fever, headache, body ache, and rashes.

Additionally, separate facilities with 10 beds have been set up at government hospitals to treat suspected mpox cases.

What is mpox:

Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox but typically causes milder symptoms like fever, chills and body aches.

It mostly spreads through prolonged and close skin-to-skin contact with an infected patient, including sexual intercourse.

People with more serious cases can develop lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals.

Mpox infections are generally self-limiting, lasting between two and four weeks, and its patients usually recover with supportive medical care and management.

Last Tuesday, Congo — the hardest-hit country — reported more than 1,000 new mpox cases over the previous week. In its latest update on the outbreak, the African Centres for Disease Control reported that as of Thursday, more than 21,300 suspected or confirmed cases and 590 deaths have been reported this year in 12 African countries.

(With PTI inputs)