A 35-year-old laborer infected with mpox passed through Islamabad International Airport unchecked on September 7, 2024, raising serious concerns about the effectiveness of health screenings at the country’s busiest airports. Despite exhibiting clear symptoms, the man was not flagged by Border Health Services (BHS) officials and was only diagnosed after seeking treatment in Peshawar. This case marks the first instance where an mpox infection arrived at Islamabad but was detected elsewhere, prompting criticism from health officials and public health experts.
Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on August 14, 2024, Pakistan has reported six confirmed cases, all originating from two Middle Eastern countries. Despite stringent surveillance at other airports, Islamabad’s apparent failure to detect cases raises questions about the consistency of the screening protocols in place.
Call for Stronger Federal Measures
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah expressed his concern over Islamabad’s lax screening protocols. “We urge the federal government to strengthen monitoring to protect the population from this zoonotic infection,” Shah stated. The minister highlighted that no cases had gone undetected in KP due to their stringent measures, contrasting with the missed case at Islamabad airport. Shah also called for a robust screening system at Islamabad to prevent future oversights.
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Shah revealed that over 66,000 people had been screened at KP’s entry points, including Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar and the Pak-Afghan border at Torkham. Of the 17 suspected cases, five have been confirmed, demonstrating the effectiveness of local protocols in identifying potential infections.
Public Health Response and Ongoing Surveillance
The patient, quarantined at his home in Lower Dir, has shown signs of improvement, with the district health officer closely monitoring his condition. The KP health minister assured that the patient had minimal contact with others and had not met any relatives since arriving in Pakistan. “The patient’s family has been educated on how to prevent the spread of infection,” Shah added.
KP’s proactive approach has involved isolating confirmed patients in designated wards until they test negative. “Four patients have already been discharged after their test results came back negative,” said Dr. Irshad Roghani, KP’s public health director. The province’s health authorities are also screening close contacts of the infected to ensure containment.
Urgent Need for Enhanced Screening
As concerns over the screening failures at Islamabad airport grow, public health experts are urging federal authorities to address gaps in surveillance. “It is alarming that a patient with mpox left the country’s largest airport unchecked,” Minister Shah remarked. The incident has triggered calls for immediate corrective actions to prevent further spread of the virus.
With the WHO declaring the Clade 1b variant of mpox a public health emergency, the need for a coordinated national response to improve airport screenings and implement rigorous health checks remains critical to safeguard public health in Pakistan.