The Centre's Monkeypox Consultant Identification Monitoring, and Isolation

Monkeypox: The Ministry of Health warns against coming into touch with contaminated goods used by sick individuals, such as clothing, bedding, or materials used in hospital settings, as well as things that have come into contact with diseased animals.

New Delhi: The Union ministry of health informed travelers on Tuesday to avoid eating or preparing meat from wild game (bushmeat), as well as using products derived from wild animals in Africa, such as creams, lotions, and powders, as well as avoiding close contact with sick people, including those with skin lesions or genital lesions.

An annexure to the "Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease" provided to states and union territories includes a warning for international passengers, advising them to avoid contact with dead or live wild animals such as tiny mammals, such as rodents (rats, squirrels), and non-human primates (monkeys, apes). 

It also warns against coming into contact with contaminated materials used by sick individuals, such as garments, bedding, or materials used in healthcare settings, as well as things that have come into contact with diseased animals.

The advice outlines the responsibility of APHOs and PHOs, stating that they should be on high alert, particularly for travelers traveling from countries with monkeypox epidemics.

They should become familiar with monkeypox's clinical appearance, conduct strict thermal screening, examine passengers' travel history to affected countries in the previous 21 days, and develop or reinforce referral arrangements from airports and ports to the indicated link hospitals.

They should also alert the Bureau of Immigration, airline, and state health personnel deployed with them about the disease, and notify the airlines concerned about the finding of a suspicious case so that the disinfection procedure can be followed according to normal standards.

According to the guidelines, international travelers who develop symptoms suggestive of monkeypox, such as fever with rash, and were in an area where the disease has been reported or came into contact with a person who may have had the disease, should seek medical attention at the nearest health facility.