Passengers traveling from UAE with monkeypox symptoms not allowed to board flights: Health Ministry

To reduce the danger of disease transmission, the Union health ministry has written to the WHO representative in the UAE, requesting that airline passengers showing symptoms suggestive of monkeypox disease be denied boarding.

In a letter to Executive Director and IHR Focal Point, United Arab Emirates, Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Ali Rand, Joint Secretary in the Union Health Ministry Lav Agarwal mentioned three cases in which the passengers had traveled from the UAE to India and had already shown signs of monkeypox disease.

According to Article 18 of the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005, the World Health Organization recommends that member states implement exit screening measures at points of entry and, if necessary, impose restrictions on persons from affected areas in response to a public health emergency of international concern, he mentioned in the August 1 communication.

“In light of the foregoing, it is requested that exit screening be increased to ensure that persons exhibiting symptoms suggestive of monkeypox disease are not allowed to board the flight in order to reduce the risk of disease transmission,” Agarwal wrote in the letter, copies of which were sent to the WHO representative in India, the Joint Secretary (Gulf), the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Joint Secretary (U) in the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

As the world grapples with yet another public health emergency of international significance, it is critical that IHR focal points maintain constant coordination and share critical information to prevent disease transmission over international borders. So far, India has documented eight instances of monkeypox, with one death.

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis — a virus transferred to humans from animals — with symptoms comparable to smallpox but clinically less severe, according to the WHO. Monkeypox often causes fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes, and it can lead to a variety of medical issues. Typically, it is a self-limiting condition with symptoms lasting two to four weeks.