PCAA Mandates Preventive Measures Against Monkeypox for International Flights
KARACHI: The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has issued new directives to airlines operating international flights into Pakistan, as the country records its first case of monkeypox. This comes in response to growing global concern over a new variant of the virus that appears to spread more easily through routine close contact.
The recent outbreak has been linked to cases outside Africa, including Sweden, where a new variant was confirmed on August 15. This has prompted heightened vigilance worldwide. In Pakistan, health authorities confirmed a single case of monkeypox in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) earlier this week. Initial reports mistakenly indicated three cases, but it was later clarified that two of these cases were from last year, with only one case being attributed to the current outbreak.
In light of these developments, the PCAA has mandated that all airlines arriving from abroad must implement several preventive measures. Key among these directives is the provision of masks and hand sanitizers to passengers. Additionally, airline staff and ground handling personnel are required to wear masks at all times.
The PCAA’s instructions also include the sanitization of hands for both staff and passengers and the disinfection of luggage. Passengers displaying symptoms of monkeypox are to be isolated to prevent potential spread.
The situation has been complicated by difficulties in tracing an individual who was initially identified as a monkeypox patient. A health officer in KP’s Mardan district reported that the patient, who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia, could not be located. The patient had visited a hospital in Peshawar for initial tests and advice but returned home to Mardan, where he later moved to another district. Efforts to trace him in Dir district were unsuccessful, and his current whereabouts remain unknown.
The national health ministry is actively involved in contact tracing and is enhancing airport surveillance with additional health personnel. The ministry is also awaiting results from ongoing sequencing of the confirmed patient’s sample to determine the specific strain of the virus.
Federal Ministry of Health spokesperson Sajid Shah indicated that while there is no confirmation yet of the new variant in Pakistan, sequencing efforts are underway to identify the strain. The results will provide further insight into the nature of the outbreak and guide subsequent measures.
This proactive response by the PCAA underscores the importance of stringent preventive measures in managing public health threats, particularly in the context of international travel and global disease outbreaks.
