Health ministry reveals comprehensive guidelines at airports to prevent mpox spread

KARACHI: In the wake of the threat posed by the recent global outbreak of the monkeypox virus, the Federal Ministry of Health has issued strict guidelines provisioning screening, isolation and other preventive measures at the country's  international airports.

The ministry's notification dated August 18 referred to the outbreak being termed a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and said: "To mitigate the risk of international spread, it is essential for all international airports in Pakistan to implement strict preventive measures."

The standard operating procedures (SOPs) are issued by the ministry provisions screenings for passengers and crew members upon arrival and also conditions the issuance of visa on arrival to health clearance of the passengers.

The development comes as the country has reported at least one mpox case after a new variant was confirmed last week in Sweden and was linked to a growing outbreak in Africa — the first sign of its spread outside the continent.

As per the WHO, mpox is a viral disease related to the now-eradicated smallpox virus and can spread through any close contact and through contaminated materials like sheets, clothing and needles.

Initial symptoms of the disease include fever, chills, muscle pain, swelling of the glands, exhaustion, headache and muscle weakness which are often followed by a painful or itchy rash with raised lesions that scab over and resolve over a period of weeks.

A day earlier, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) on Sunday directed all airlines flying into Pakistan from abroad to adopt preventive measures such as providing face masks to passengers, ensuring sanitising of the hands of staff and passengers as well as disinfection of the luggage.

As per the health ministry's guidelines, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will be responsible for facilitating the implementation of health measures without disrupting airport activities and will ensure compliance with the SOPs by carrying out regular inspections and audits.

Meanwhile, the Border Health Services (BHS) — working as the lead agency responsible for the overall coordination and management of mpox-related operations at international airports — manages the isolation and safe transportation of suspected mpox cases to designated medical facilities.

The BHS will also report confirmed cases to local and national health authorities and maintain surveillance data.

Screening, isolation measures

The BHS has implemented thermal scanning at all entry points to detect passengers with fever, a common symptom of mpox, and their personnel will also conduct visual inspections and symptom checks to identify any passengers displaying signs of the disease.

Passengers or crew members identified as potential mpox cases will be immediately isolated in a designated area within the airport.

The authority will also enforce quarantine measures for passengers who have been in close contact with a confirmed mpox case, in accordance with national and international health guidelines.

In the event of a confirmed mpox case, the authority will initiate contact tracing procedures for all individuals who were in proximity to the infected person during the flight or at the airport.

Passengers identified through contact tracing will be monitored for symptoms and provided with instructions on how to report any health concerns.

Mpox patient at PIMS 'cleared'

Meanwhile, the authorities have cleared a suspect patient of mpox being treated at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) of the virus.

Officials said that the suspected patient, a 47-year-old man from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), had reached Islamabad from Jeddah a few days ago and was treated as a suspected case of mpox due to chest pain.

However, he was declared "clear" of the disease following a test by the National Institute of Health (NIH).