Monkeypox: Karnataka TAC recommends strict surveillance at Bengaluru, Mangaluru airports

“Those arriving from the affected countries either directly at Bengaluru or Mangaluru airports/seasport, particularly those with a history of contact with a known case of monkeypox in the last 21 days and having one or more symptoms, should immediately report at the airports/seaports or later at the nearest government health facility,” the TAC report read and the government is expected to take a call on it.

The report reiterated the Centre’s guidelines to the states in May, stating that all suspected cases are to be isolated at designated healthcare facilities until all lesions have resolved and a fresh layer of skin has been formed or until the treating physician decides to end isolation.

The TAC also recommended that the infected cases should be shifted to Epidemic Diseases Hospital at Indiranagar in Bengaluru. Already a ward with ten beds has been reserved at Wenlock District Hospital in Mangaluru to treat affected patients.

The report also stated that the clinical samples of suspected cases should be sent to the department of microbiology and virus research diagnostic laboratory at Victoria Hospital for testing.

At the Mangaluru airport, passengers arriving from foreign countries are being screened by the authorities.