As India reported its first confirmed case of monkeypox, with a Keralite returning from the UAE testing positive for the virus, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued guidelines for international travellers on the disease’s management on Friday.
According to the ministry’s advisory, all international passengers should avoid close contact with sick people, including those with skin or genital lesions. They should also avoid contact with wild animals, whether dead or alive, such as small mammals like rodents (rats and squirrels) and non-human primates (like monkeys and apes).
The ministry has also advised foreign visitors not to consume or prepare meat from wild game (bushmeat). They should also avoid using products derived from African wild animals, such as creams, lotions, and powders.
The ministry advises against using contaminated materials used by sick people, such as clothing, bedding, or materials used in healthcare settings, as well as items that have come into contact with infected animals.
It also advised people to seek medical attention if they developed symptoms of monkeypox, such as fever and rash, especially if they had been in an area where the disease had been reported or had come into contact with someone who was infected with the virus.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George confirmed India’s first case of monkeypox on Thursday after testing samples from the symptomatic person at the National Institute of Virology in Pune. Soon after, the Centre assigned a high-level multidisciplinary team to work with state health authorities to implement public health measures.
The man, from Kerala’s Kollam district, arrived at the airport from the UAE on July 12, and all of his close contacts have been identified, according to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a statement.