CHENNAI: After the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine instructed airports to screen international travellers coming from countries that have reported monkeypox cases, Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Friday said nobody showed symptoms of monkeypox, so far.
Samples of any international travellers found with fever, headache, muscle aches and exhaustion are being tested. Any sick traveller from the affected countries is isolated and their sample is sent to the BSL4 facility of ICMR-NIV, Pune, through the State Public Health Laboratory for further investigation.
So far, the USA, Spain, Portugal, the UK, Canada, Australia and other European countries have reported cases of monkeypox. Passengers are being screened in Chennai, Madurai, Thoothukudi, Salem, Tiruchy and Coimbatore airports.
"A patient in Chennai was suspected to have been infected with monkeypox. But, samples came back negative from Pune," said the health minister.