Chennai, Sep 10 (IANS): While no case of the deadly viral disease has been identified in Tamil Nadu, its health department has directed all district medical officers to be on alert for any cases of Mpox.

This illness, caused by the monkeypox (Mpox) virus, is a viral infection which can spread between people, mainly through close contact, and occasionally from the environment to people through surfaces that have been touched by an infected person.

The state health department officials told IANS that the district medical officers are required to put the taluk-level hospitals on alert and also monitor the Primary Health Centres (PHC) under their jurisdiction.

Tamil Nadu government has already set up fever screening centres at four international airports of the state and has also put in place isolation wards attached to each airport.

The King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research in Guindy will be the laboratory earmarked by the Union Ministry of Health for testing of Mpox in Tamil Nadu. This lab is among the 22 laboratories identified by the Ministry across the country for testing.

Tamil Nadu health authorities said that the state has in place mass fever screening systems at all four international airports, and isolation wards are ready in airports as well as in four designated government hospitals.

State health minister Ma Subramanian, while speaking to IANS, said: “The state is ready with testing and treatment facilities. All precautionary measures have also been taken.”

The minister further said that as soon as information, on a person with suspected symptoms was announced by the Union government, the state government got in touch with the Union government and received information about the country from where the person had returned and the place of hospitalisation, which are kept confidential.

The Government of India had announced that a person with suspected symptoms of mpox was identified, isolated, and treated.

Tamil Nadu, notably, has four international airports in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, and Tiruchi, and mass fever screening systems, and continuous monitoring of travellers is underway.

At all four airports, medical isolation wards have been readied. In addition, digital boards with information on symptoms of mpox and seeking medical help have been put up at the airports.

Isolation wards for mpox were set up in four government hospitals in: Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai, Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, Government Medical College Hospital in Coimbatore and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Tiruchi. Each ward had 10 beds.