Karnataka government identifies two referral hospitals to isolate, manage suspected mpox cases

Bengaluru: The state government has identified the Isolation hospital in Indiranagar, Bengaluru and Wenlock Hospital, Mangaluru, as referral hospitals to isolate and manage any mpox cases suspected at both the airports or the seaport.

In a circular issued on Tuesday, the state health commissioner D Randeep directed authorities managing points of entry via airports and the Mangaluru seaport and all health facilities in the state to keep an eye out for suspected cases of monkeypox, to isolate and document them. All district hospitals and medical college hospitals in the state will be designated for isolating and managing any suspected cases in the state.

Following the World Health Organisation's (WHO) declaration of monkeypox as a 'public health emergency of international concern' earlier this month and cases being reported in Sweden and Pakistan, the Centre has directed all states to prepare for suspected cases. India currently has no active mpox cases.

The surveillance measures recommended at airports and the seaport include identifying those arriving from affected countries and those with a history of contact with a known case of mpox in the last 21 days.

All clinical samples of a suspected case must be transported to the Virus Research And Diagnostic Laboratory at the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru.

Anyone testing positive for mpox must be kept in isolation for at least 21 days or until the rashes have fully healed.

The government has also shared the format of a self-reporting document to be filled by travellers and uploaded by the port authorities on the Integrated Health Information Platform. Authorities must also keep ready the list of people who travelled with each suspected case and share with the state or district surveillance officers if the person tests positive.

Signs and symptoms

- Zero to five days: Fever, chills and sweats, swelling of the lymph node, headache, muscle ache and exhaustion, sore throat and cough

- Rash after one to three days of the onset of fever

- Often painful lesions on the face, palms and soles