China to screen arrivals of people & goods for mpox

With monkeypox (MPox) deemed a worldwide health emergency, China has said that it will begin screening foreign immigrants who exhibit symptoms.

Authorities in charge of customs warned on Friday that all planes and ships, including cargo and container ships, coming from mpox-affected nations or regions must adhere to health processing protocols.

In a statement, the General Administration of Customs said that individuals who are exhibiting symptoms associated with mpox or have come into contact with cases should declare themselves when they enter.

Screening procedures in China will be implemented for a period of six months.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the current mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency on Wednesday. This was due to an increase in cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the possibility of future spread to countries nearby.

Beijing Daxing International Airport (Xinhua)

Concerns that a more deadly variant of the virus, known as clade Ib, had infected four previously unaffected African nations also prompted WHO to declare it a health emergency.

Some of the early signs of mpox include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and muscle aches. A common rash appears next, primarily on the hands, feet, and face.

A case of a more serious strain of mpox has been reported by Sweden. According to the nation, this is the first instance of a clade I variation found outside of an active epidemic in African nations.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 17,000 mpox cases and more than 500 deaths have been reported in 13 countries in Africa.