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ISLAMABAD: Border Health Services (BHS) at Islamabad Airport identified a potential mpox case on Monday, highlighting the country’s vigilance at entry points.
A 47-year-old man arriving from a Gulf country was transferred to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) isolation ward. Dr. Naseem Akhtar, Pims focal person for mpox, confirmed that a sample was sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) for PCR testing.
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The patient, a laborer from Azad Jammu and Kashmir working in the Gulf, is reported to be in stable condition. Contact tracing will commence if the NIH confirms a positive result.
Health Ministry spokesperson Sajid Shah praised the swift identification and isolation of the suspected case at the airport. He emphasized that such measures, in line with international health regulations, reduce the risk of local disease transmission.
Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Health, Dr. Malik Mukhtar, inspected screening arrangements at Islamabad International Airport to ensure compliance with international health protocols.
Pakistan’s first confirmed mpox case, involving a Gulf country traveler in Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was identified as Clade IIb. This strain is associated with milder symptoms compared to Clade I, which is currently causing an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the recent mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, following the identification of a new variant. The DRC outbreak has affected 27,000 people, resulting in over 1,100 deaths, primarily among children, since January 2023.
Global health officials recently confirmed a case of the new mpox strain in Sweden, marking its first appearance outside Africa. This development raises concerns about the potential for wider international spread.
