18,479 Passengers Screened Amid Monkeypox Concerns
KARACHI: On Thursday, a total of 18,479 passengers arriving from abroad were screened across Pakistan due to concerns about monkeypox, according to airport sources.
In the past 24 hours, screenings were conducted for passengers from 135 international flights nationwide. At Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, 4,595 passengers were screened, while 4,964 were screened at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, and 4,790 at Islamabad International Airport.
Additional screenings included 1,871 passengers from 14 flights at Multan Airport, 802 passengers from seven international flights at Sialkot Airport, 991 at Peshawar Airport, 320 at Faisalabad Airport, and 146 at Quetta Airport.
The screenings also involved 32 deportees, none of whom tested positive for monkeypox.
On August 20, the Federal Ministry of Health issued stringent guidelines mandating screening, isolation, and preventive measures at all international airports in response to the recent global monkeypox outbreak. These measures include linking visa issuance to health clearance and implementing strict preventive protocols.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has noted that monkeypox, a viral disease related to smallpox, can spread through close contact and contaminated materials. Initial symptoms include fever, chills, and a rash with raised lesions.
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has directed airlines to adopt preventive measures such as providing face masks and ensuring hand sanitization and luggage disinfection. The Border Health Services (BHS) are responsible for managing isolation and safe transport of suspected cases, as well as conducting thermal scans, visual inspections, and symptom checks.
Confirmed cases will lead to contact tracing and quarantine measures, with ongoing monitoring and reporting to health authorities.
