Ctg airport on high alert to check Mpox

CHATTOGRAM, Aug 18: The authorities of Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram have been on high alert to prevent spread of the Mpox virus since Saturday night.

Three doctors are deployed on each shift, while officials are screening all incoming passengers with thermal scanners to identify any suspects.

Wing Commander Taslim Ahmed, director of Shah Amanat International Airport, said that airport officials were checking each and every passenger with thermal scanner to detect Mpox infection.

"We are fully prepared to screen infected passengers, and all necessary arrangements have been made to quarantine any passenger infected with the Mpox virus. We have three health officers (physicians) on each shift to take care of the infected," he added.

He said, "This morning, we held a meeting with the authorities concerned, including airline companies, and instructed them to screen all passengers before boarding. They were also advised to inform the airport authorities if anyone feels feverish or experiences itching on board. We started screening all passengers at 10:30 pm last night and have yet to find any infected individuals."

It may be mentioned that countries across Asia are now on high alert for Mpox, the highly contagious disease after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a "global health emergency."

Previously known as "monkeypox," the highly infectious disease can spread quickly through close contact. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscular aches, and large boil-like skin lesions.

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