India returnee sent to Jashore hospital

A man has been sent to Jashore General Hospital with suspected symptoms of monkeypox after he returned home from India on Friday, reports UNB.

Abbas Ali, 42, a resident of Daora village in Shailkupa upazila of Jhenaidah, went to India on 3 June. He returned through Benapole this afternoon, said Raju Ahmed, officer-in-Charge (OC) of Benapole Immigration Police.

Abbas was rushed to the immigration health centre after the authorities noticed rashes on his body during screening, he added.

Mohsina Akhter Rumpa, health officer of Benapole checkpost primary health care centre said that nothing can be confirmed before medical tests

“The man was initially thought to be infected with chickenpox. However, he has been sent to Jashore General Hospital under special arrangements where senior officials will look after the matter,” she added.

Earlier, a Turkish citizen, who showed suspected symptoms of monkeypox, was sent to hospital after arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on 7 June.

However, he was discharged from the hospital after tests found no monkeypox virus.

On 22 May, the government instructed the authorities concerned to strengthen surveillance at land, air and sea ports for screening travellers coming to Bangladesh from countries with confirmed monkeypox cases.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued a notice in this regard.

According to the notice, monkeypox is not a new disease. It was found among people in West and Middle African countries in the past. Recently it has been detected among people living in European and American countries with no history of travelling African countries.

People who contracted the virus or came close to the infected people should be listed as suspected patients of monkeypox, it said.