The Health Department has intensified screening at Bacha Khan International Airport following the detection of the first mpox case of the year in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The first case of mpox in Pakistan this year was identified when a Dubai-based driver was flagged during a screening by Border Health Services staff on Friday. The driver later tested positive for the zoonotic disease at the Public Health Reference Laboratory (PHRL). Another individual was also tested on Sunday, but his result was negative, and he was sent home.
Dr. Mussawir Manzoor, Deputy Director of Public Health, told Dawn that the patient had been isolated at Services Hospital under strict observation and would only be discharged once his sample returned negative. “In line with WHO’s International Health Regulations, we have identified six co-passengers of the patient. Our district-level staff examined them, and they were found to be asymptomatic,” he said.
The passengers, including two from Peshawar and one each from Bannu, Charsadda, Hangu, and Swat, are being monitored for two weeks, with anyone showing symptoms to be tested. Since the patient only had lesions on his face, the risk of contact with other passengers was low, making them low-risk, but the protocol will still be followed. “On average, we screen 1,200 people arriving at the airport each day to ensure that no suspected individuals are missed, thus preventing any potential threat to public health,” Dr. Mussawir added.
The sample from the positive patient has been sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad for genetic sequencing, and the results are awaited.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported a total of 10 mpox cases so far, including two in 2023, seven in 2024, and one this year. “Most of the cases involve individuals working in the Middle East. We are paying special attention to passengers from that region,” said Dr. Mussawir.
The Public Health Reference Laboratory at Khyber Medical University in Peshawar has been a key asset for the health department, enabling faster test results compared to the NIH, which processes samples from across the country. “Better surveillance and rapid diagnosis have helped prevent the spread of the infection in the community, as all 10 cases were detected through screening and tested positive at PHRL,” he explained.
Dr. Mussawir further noted that all suspected patients were sent to Services Hospital for isolation and testing, and that the health department has alerted staff across all districts to send samples from suspected cases to PHRL for free testing. An advisory from the NIH regarding case identification and management has also been shared with district health officers and medical superintendents.
“The strong airport screening system has played a crucial role in containing the infection,” he concluded.
