Amid fears over a potential mpox global outbreak, India held a high-level meeting on Sunday (Aug 18) to assess its preparedness. The latest assessment presented at the crucial meeting led by the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary, P K Mishra, shows that since March 2024, the nation has had no reports of cases of mpox.

India's mpox update: India safe, no new cases since March; high-level meeting finds ‘low outbreak risk’

The Union Health Ministry has asked all airports as well as authorities at land ports on borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan to remain alert about incoming international passengers reporting Mpox symptoms, official sources said on Sunday.

Mpox scare: Indian govt tells international airports to be vigilant about passengers with symptoms

An outbreak of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has claimed more than 500 lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as per reports. The virus, which is rapidly spreading to neighbouring countries, has prompted fears of a global health crisis, even as over seven million displaced high-risk people in the DRC await vaccine.

Mpox crisis: WHO pushes for scaling up mpox vaccine production as death toll in DRC nears 550

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared that an outbreak of mpox, a viral infection that spreads through close contact, represented a global health emergency for the second time in two years.

Mpox crisis: Pakistan detects three cases, China to monitor arrivals of people, goods| Top updates