Monkeypox: Land, airports asked to strengthen surveillance, screening

The government has instructed authorities of all the ports, including land and airports, to strengthen surveillance and screening processes in a bid to prevent the spread of Monkeypox in the country.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued a notice regarding the issue on Sunday signed by its director (disease control) Nazmul Islam.

The notice asked the authorities concerned to bring the people, coming to Bangladesh from countries with confirmed Monekypox cases, under surveillance and screening processes.

News agency UNB adds: 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 in the African nations.

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

The suspected patients or patients having symptoms should be taken to government hospitals or Infectious Diseases Hospital and kept in isolation and it should be reported to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).