With World Health Organization recently declaring an alarm over the spread of Mpox in Africa. The Asian countries are monitoring the situation closely.
Mpox, which was earlier known as monkeypox, is classified into two distinct groups: clade 1 and clade 2. The diseases is transmissible through direct contact with an infected person, animal or contaminated items.
As per the media reports Clade 2 which was responsible for the 2022 outbreak, has led to around 100,000 cases worldwide, but now, a version of clade 1 has spread internationally, after starting in the Democratic Republic of Congo in January 2023.
Sweden reported the first known case of clade 1 outside Africa on Thursday, whereas on Monday, the Philippines reported its first case of mpox since December last year, although it has not yet identified the strain.
Let’s take a look at what the four Asian Nations have to speak on this subject:
China:
One of the most populous nations which was suspected of to be the epicenter of Covid, China’s customs authorities announced they will strengthen surveillance at ports of entry.
People arriving from nations and areas with confirmed mpox cases and have been exposed to mpox with symptoms such as fever, headache, backpain or rashes must declare their condition to customs, the General Administration of Customs said.
Aircraft and vessels carrying containers, as well as cargo, arriving from nations and areas with mpox cases will also be sanitized, reported local news.
These measures went into effect Thursday, and will be enforced for the next six months.
India:
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi known to spearhead the things from front has been continuously monitoring the mpox outbreak, this was conveyed by India’s Ministry of Health and Famiy Welfare.
As per the Indian officials the last case of mpox was detected in March, and as of Sunday, there are no reported cases in the country.
In the past week, a meeting of health experts was held by India’s National Center of Disease Control to assess the risk, officials said. And health teams at international airports have also been made aware of the situation.
Health authorities have also announced that they will enhance surveillance in an effort to promptly detect potential cases, as well as improve laboratory testing capabilities for early diagnosis, officials added, though they did not include any further details in the statement.
Health-care providers, such as hospitals and clinics, have also been tasked with increasing awareness of the virus.
Japan:
Japan officials met for a discussion on Friday about the potential actions and review strategies, local news reported, and agreed to gather data from countries where outbreaks have been confirmed.
Authorities plan to raise awareness of mpox and its spread among travelers entering and leaving the country, The Japan Times reported. It’s unclear if the country will enforce any additional measures.
Meanwhile, the country’s health minister, Keizo Takemi, recently said at a press conference that Tokyo is gearing up to send Japan-made vaccines made to the Congo, in response to a request, the outlet added.
South Korea:
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) remarked on Friday that the mpox situation remained “manageable” under existing measures, it will still bolster quarantine and surveillance efforts. However experts discussed r possible risk of an outbreak.
During the meeting officials decided to enforce quarantine measures for those on direct flights from countries with “epidemiological investigators and public health doctors deployed on-site,” and decided not to reissue a crisis alert that was lifted May of last year, The Korea Times reported.
Korea is also planning to boost awareness campaigns to urge those with symptoms to go to a doctor immediately, it added.
