New Delhi/IBNS: The Centre has directed authorities at airports, ports, and land borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan to remain alert about incoming international passengers who show symptoms of monkeypox (mpox) amid the widespread outbreak of the virus globally, media reports said.

Three state-run hospitals- Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, and Lady Hardinge Hospital- have been selected as the key facilities in Delhi to quarantine, manage and treat mpox patients.

The Centre has asked all states to keep hospitals ready to handle mpox cases. These hospitals should be designated as nodal centres and the information given to the public, media reports said.

PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chaired a meeting on Sunday to review the country's preparedness for mpox amid enhanced surveillance for prompt detection.

Officials said no mpox case has been reported from the country at present. According to the assessment, the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is low, they said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern in view of its prevalence and spread across many parts of Africa.

The Health Ministry has ordered officials to ensure the network of testing laboratories is ready for early diagnosis of the disease. At present, 32 laboratories in the country are equipped for testing mpox.

An earlier statement from WHO said 99,176 cases and 208 deaths have been reported due to mpox from 116 countries since 2022.

Mpox cases have been steadily increasing in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Last year, the number of reported cases around the world increased significantly. This year, the number of cases reported so far has already exceeded last year's total, with more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths.

Since 2022, at least 30 mpox cases have been reported from India. The last case of mpox was detected in March this year.