The Union Health Ministry has instructed all airports and border authorities at land ports with Bangladesh and Pakistan to monitor incoming international passengers for Mpox symptoms, according to official sources on Sunday.

In response, the ministry has designated three Centre-run hospitals in Delhi—Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, and Lady Hardinge Medical College—as nodal centers for the isolation, management, and treatment of Mpox patients. Additionally, all state governments have been tasked with identifying similar hospitals within their jurisdictions. A high-level meeting chaired by P.K. Mishra, the principal secretary to the prime minister, took place on Sunday to review the nation's readiness for Mpox and ensure prompt detection through enhanced surveillance.

Currently, there are no reported cases of Mpox in India. Officials have assessed that the risk of a widespread outbreak with sustained transmission remains low at this time. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) due to its spread across several parts of Africa. The virus strain in circulation is noted to be more virulent and infectious, but the likelihood of a major outbreak in India is still considered low, according to official sources.

The Health Ministry has emphasized the need for increased surveillance and effective measures for the early detection of Mpox cases. It has also called for readiness among the network of testing laboratories, currently numbering 32, for prompt diagnosis. P.K. Mishra highlighted the importance of widespread dissemination of prevention and treatment protocols, and the need for an awareness campaign among healthcare providers about the disease's signs, symptoms, and the necessity for timely reporting to surveillance systems.

According to earlier WHO data, Mpox has resulted in 99,176 cases and 208 deaths across 116 countries since 2022. The Democratic Republic of Congo has seen a steady rise in cases, with a significant increase in reported cases worldwide last year. This year, cases have already surpassed last year's total, with over 15,600 cases and 537 deaths reported. In India, thirty Mpox cases have been recorded since 2022, with the most recent case detected in March 2024.