The sudden concern arose after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern.

The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Public Health (DPH) has directed airport and port health officers to be on high alert for passengers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African countries. The infection has broken out in most African countries.

Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a self-limiting viral infection. Since 2022, more than 27,000 cases have been registered and 1,100 deaths have been reported in 116 countries. There are two strains of the monkeypox virus, one of which is transmitted through sexual contact. Mpox can be transmitted from person to person through direct contact with infectious skin, mouth, or genitals. It can also be transmitted to the community through clothing or in tattoo parlors.

Transmission from infected animals may occur through bites or scratches, or even during playing, cooking, trapping, or eating animals.

The most common symptoms are fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes, along with pox-like rashes, which typically appear two to three weeks after exposure. Mpox can lead to death, especially in children and adults with weakened immune systems.

-Sanyogita