BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Wednesday intensified surveillance and directed for mandatory screening of international passengers arriving at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) at Bhubaneswar and various ports in the state in view of the global monkeypox (mpox) situation.
As per the guideline issued by the Public Health directorate, several actions will be initiated at the point of entry (PoE) to prevent the spread of the disease. International travellers at airports and seaports or crew coming from the affected countries or those who present with fever, profound weakness and an otherwise unexplained rash, will be treated as high suspicion passengers.
Passengers who have travelled in the last 21 days to a country that has recently confirmed or suspected cases of mpox, and come in contact with a person or people with confirmed or suspected mpox, will also be screened.
The suspected cases will be isolated at transit isolation facilities and information shared immediately with officials of integrated disease surveillance programme, Director of Public Health Dr Nilakantha Mishra said.