Mpox measures at Istanbul Airport: Those flights under close monitoring

Flights arriving in Istanbul from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and 11 surrounding African countries, where the mpox virus—declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO)—is frequently seen, have been placed under close monitoring by teams from the General Directorate of Border and Coastal Health of Turkey.

The mpox virus, which the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern due to its rapid spread and fatalities, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has also been observed on the African continent in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Congo, Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, Ivory Coast, and South Africa.

PASSENGERS ARRIVING FROM AFRICA ARE BEING CLOSELY MONITORED

The General Directorate of Border and Coastal Health of Turkey has implemented certain measures against the virus at Istanbul Airport. Flights arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and 11 surrounding countries, where the disease is prevalent, as well as passengers entering Turkey, are being closely monitored.

"WE HOLD SUSPECTED CASES IN OUR ISOLATION AREAS"

Responding to questions from an AA reporter regarding the measures at the airport, Dr. Aykut Yener Kavak, Chief Physician of the General Directorate of Border and Coastal Health at Istanbul Airport, stated that they began monitoring flights after the WHO declared the disease a global emergency.

Emphasizing that there is a health team working 24/7 at Istanbul Airport and that all inspections are carried out meticulously, Kavak said:

"We go to the gates of flights arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and conduct screenings. We inquire whether there are any passengers with illnesses, rashes, or fever during the flight. Apart from that, we also monitor the flights from the 11 surrounding countries online. In the event of any suspicious situation, the necessary checks are performed on these aircraft. We have not encountered any mpox cases at Istanbul Airport so far. From time to time, passengers thought to be potential cases have come to our attention, and these passengers have been examined. We allowed these passengers to continue their travels as we did not believe any of them had mpox."

Stating that the biggest criterion in diagnosis is rashes, Kavak said, "We inquire about their history. Is there travel from that region, or have they been in that region before? Are there signs of fever, is there an infection? Also, swelling in the lymph nodes is a symptom of this disease. We hold such suspected cases in our isolation areas, and then our medical teams perform their examinations."

Kavak stated that patients with such symptoms, if suspected, would be referred to a pre-determined hospital by medical teams.

Explaining that they also receive many questions from field staff regarding the issue, Kavak said they provided information about the disease at a meeting held at Istanbul Airport with the participation of all aviation stakeholders.

"WE ARE A BIT MORE RELAXED BECAUSE IT IS NOT TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE RESPIRATORY TRACT"

Pointing out that when evaluated with scientific data, there is no possibility of the disease turning into an epidemic for now, Kavak used the following expressions:

"The World Health Organization has already announced this. We are a bit more relaxed because it is not transmitted through the respiratory tract. The most important way to protect oneself is to avoid close contact and not to touch people with such lesions with bare hands. It has been published that those with weak immune systems are at risk. Cases recover on their own within 2 to 4 weeks. Prof. Dr. Ateş Kara stated at the meeting that the smallpox vaccine is 95 percent protective. There is also a monkeypox vaccine in that region. We also hear that vaccination is accelerating in that region."

Stating that there is no mandatory requirement for wearing masks or gloves at the airport or on planes, Kavak noted that the claims made on social media regarding this issue are baseless.

Stating that they only recommend that cleaning staff use gloves in places like restrooms, Kavak said, "We ask airline personnel to be attentive to passengers when boarding the plane. We ask them to inform local authorities if there is a passenger with such a problem. We request that they inform the air traffic control tower if there is a patient with similar symptoms during the flight. We want airport staff to report to us when they see patients with lesions."

News Source: AA