KARACHI: Amid detection of a confirmed monkeypox (mpox) case in the country, the Sindh health department on Friday initiated screening of passengers at the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, and released an advisory for healthcare institutions in the province.

Officials said that the director general of Sindh health, accompanied by airport officials and director-health services, visited the airport to evaluate the screening protocols implemented for mpox.

The officials were briefed on the screening processes being implemented for the passengers arriving in Pakistan via international flights. They examined the isolation room set up by the Border Health Services for the travellers showing potential symptoms.

“In the designated area, the travel history and symptoms of suspected patients are evaluated, and if symptoms are detected, samples are collected for PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing,” shared a health department official who attended the meeting held at the airport.

The health department’s advisory released on Friday to at least 17 major tertiary care public and private sector hospitals and institutes, alerted officials over the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa, which has been declared a global health emergency by the WHO.

According to the advisory, the emergency indicates the potential threat posed by the rapid spread of clade Ib — a deadlier strain of the mpox virus in previously unaffected countries in Africa. The strain had previously been contained to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It provides detailed guidelines on the detection and assessment of relevant cases and their management.

“Strict infection control measures should be followed including hand hygiene. Healthcare workers should wear personal protective equipment at all times when caring for the patient,” it says.

In 2023, the advisory says, a total of 11 mpox cases were reported in Pakistan with one death.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has urged the government to take immediate and strict measures to prevent the entry and spread of that contagious disease in the country.

The association also urged the government to enhance contact tracing and isolation of suspected cases to prevent the further spread of the disease.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2024