Mpox cases: Bengaluru airport starts mandatory Monkeypox testing for international passengers

Amid rising concerns, Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) started mandatory monkeypox (Mpox) testing for international passengers, following the detection of the country's first case in Delhi this week. Four dedicated kiosks have been placed to ensure all international passengers are tested for the new virus.

As part of testing, the Bengaluru airport will be placing infected individuals from affected countries, especially African nations in isolation and under a mandatory 21-day quarantine, similar to the precautions taken during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Around 2,000 passengers are being tested daily as part of the airport's stringent precautionary measures to curb the virus from entering Karnataka. The airport has swiftly implemented screening, testing, and tracking systems, with a dedicated officer overseeing the operations.


"KIA is fully prepared and compliant with all health and safety protocols issued by relevant authorities in light of the global Mpox situation. All international passengers arriving at the airport are being thoroughly checked for elevated temperatures as part of the screening process. In addition, an isolation zone has been established on site to manage any suspected cases swiftly and efficiently," said BIAL spokesperson.

Following treatment, individuals will undergo re-testing, and only once the virus is confirmed to be eradicated will they be released.

Mpox in India:
Recently, India said it had verified an "isolated" mpox case but said it was not the new strain of the virus driving the ongoing global health emergency.

Mpox's resurgence, and the detection in the Democratic Republic of Congo of a new strain, dubbed Clade 1b, prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare its highest international alert level on August 14.

"Laboratory testing has confirmed the presence of mpox virus of the West African Clade 2 in the patient," the health ministry said in a statement.

"This case is an isolated case... and is not a part of the current public health emergency (reported by WHO) which is regarding Clade 1 of mpox."

There have been no confirmed cases of mpox caused by the new strain of the virus in India, a country of 1.4 billion people.

The new Clade 1b strain was first detected among sex work in eastern DR Congo in September 2023.

Clade 1b cases have been recorded in nearby Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda -- none of which had previously detected mpox.

They have also been detected in Asia and Europe.

(with agency inputs)