Iran Intensifies Mpox Screening In Razavi Khorasan Borders

APP/IRNA

Mashhad: Iran has intensified the syndromic care surveillance for Mpox in the land and air borders of Razavi Khorasan to prevent the entry of suspicious people or those with a history of traveling to infected areas.

Mashhad University of Medical Sciences Communicable Diseases Department Head Zahra Nehbandani informed that this precautionary measure is part of Iran’s broader strategy to prevent the spread of infectious diseases within its borders.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Zahra Nehbandani noted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a global emergency alert for Mpox last week. Previously confined to endemic regions in Central and West Africa, the disease is now spreading globally due to increased international travel and communication.

Zahra explained that Mpox is primarily transmitted through respiratory secretions and direct contact with blister secretions and wounds.

While there have been no reported cases of Mpox in Iran so far, Nehbandani emphasised that comprehensive screenings for communicable diseases, including measles, dengue fever and Mpox, are being conducted at the borders.